To celebrate the opening ofQueer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle, Elissa Auther, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator, will moderate a wide-ranging public conversation with the artist Machine Dazzle, writer and performer Mike Albo, and queer theater and performance scholar David Román. During the open-ended dialogue, the participants will discuss Machine Dazzle's artistic journey and dedication to queering maximalist traditions within his interrelated practices of stagecraft, design, performance, and music.
Following the talk, the audience is invited to view the exhibition on floors 4 and 5.
ASL interpretation will be provided for this program and visitors with disabilities are eligible for free admission. Please email education@madmuseum.org to reserve your ticket.
MAD strives to be a welcoming experience for visitors of all abilities. Learn more about our accessibility programming and services.
About the participants
Mike Albo is a writer and performer. His books include Hornito, The Underminer: The Best Friend Who Casually Destroys Your Life (written with Virginia Heffernan), The Junket, and Spermhood: Diary of a Donor. He is a founding member of the Dazzle Dancers.
Machine Dazzle has been dazzling stages via costumes, sets, and performance since his arrival in New York City in 1994. He has collaborated with artists Julie Atlas Muz, Big Art Group, Justin Vivian Bond, Taylor Mac, Chris Tanner, Soomi Kim, Pig Iron Theater, Bombay Rickey, and has designed projects for Opera Philadelphia and Spiegleworld. In addition, he has held residencies at Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Moody Center for the Arts at University of Houston, Wesleyan University, Harvard University's Theater, Dance & Media Department, and Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, NJ. Machine Dazzle’s work has been exhibited at Parsons School of Design in New York City, and he contributed to memorable camp-themed looks for Diane von Furstenberg and Cara Delevingne at the 2019 Met Gala. His work for The Hang has been recognized with a 2022 Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Costumes for a Musical. This fall, Machine Dazzle will release his first record Treasure and will perform songs from the record at New York City’s Joe’s Pub. Machine Dazzle is represented by Pomegranate Arts.
David Román is a professor of English and American Studies at the University of Southern California. He is the author of several books on American theater and performance, including the award-winning Acts of Intervention: Performance, Gay Culture, and AIDS and O Solo Homo: The New Queer Performance. He is currently working on an edited volume on the work of Taylor Mac, The (Taylor) Mac Book. He serves on the board of directors of New York City's LAByrinth Theater.
Image: Machine Dazzle, Treasure (performance still), 2019. Photo: Robert Altman
