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We’ve seen some bizarre things on First Friday in Phoenix – fire-eaters, people dressed as Ghostbusters, some crazy half-naked chick sporting a bunch of red lipstick marks.
We were guessing the last one was the result of a lost bet. Turns out it was a performance by local artist Kara Roschi, whose crazy stunts have also included a massage box and a skirt of tear-strip questions inviting folks to touch hands or describe their nipples.
“A public engagement style of performance art allows me to create scenarios that might seem to force a sense of contrived intimacy, but can wind up ushering in a real, spontaneous moment of contact,” says Roschi, who continues her “Intimacy” series on January First Friday with a free performance at Holgas Gallery. The live piece will feature pre-recorded tracks from locals and an interactive element that exposes the real Phoenix hidden underneath the strip malls and planned communities.
“The heart of the city is the people who give their fellow community members something to actively engage in,” she says. “It’s the people who run our indie shops, our theaters, our open mics . . . everyone that keeps our cultural center alive.”
Fri., Jan. 1, 7-11 p.m., 2010
