CHRA Alumni Spotlight: Performative Politics of Black Bodies
Suga'N'Tanks. Photo by Aya Rebaï.
CHRA MA graduate Immanuel J. presented two live interactive performances in Fall 2024. Suga’N’Tanks, performed at the Nonchalant Gallery in Catskill, NY (October 4, 2024) furthers their research and live art practice around the performative politics of Black bodies. GOD ARE YOU THERE? Maybe it’s me, presented as part of Momenta NYC #015 at INTERCOMM (October 25, 2024) and at Baba Yaga Gallery in Hudson, NY (November 16, 2024). GOD ARE YOU THERE? Maybe its me is the second and final part of a two-part live arts and installation. The first part, originally titled CAMP IS… and now renamed GOD, ARE YOU THERE? IT’S NOT ME ITS YOU. was developed as their final project in their MA core requirement HRA 501: Politics of Interactive Live Art taught by Tania El Khoury. The second part continues the precursor’s original exploration of the aesthetics and politics rooted in Black sexuality, gender expression, and queer drag culture.
Immanuel J. also published “The Black Performer Becomes Sisyphus” in Culturebot (March 5, 2025), a written response to the artist's experience performing their GOD ARE YOU THERE…. The article documents a shift in J.'s approach to performance begun in their second year at CHRA, by untying a formerly neat understanding of Black performance as pain mitigation and power reclamation. Visit their personal website at https://www.immanueljartist.com/
Post Date: 09-01-2025
Immanuel J. also published “The Black Performer Becomes Sisyphus” in Culturebot (March 5, 2025), a written response to the artist's experience performing their GOD ARE YOU THERE…. The article documents a shift in J.'s approach to performance begun in their second year at CHRA, by untying a formerly neat understanding of Black performance as pain mitigation and power reclamation. Visit their personal website at https://www.immanueljartist.com/
Post Date: 09-01-2025
