Michael Smith is a video, performance and installation artist known for his eponymous personae, Mike, the hopeful innocent who continually falls victim to trends and fashions outside his grasp, and Baby Ikki, a child who is distracted by anything in his line of vision. For years both characters have been convenient narrative vehicles for Smith to engage tragicomic aspects of contemporary culture.
The latest episode in a series of underwhelming adventures, Smith’s Performance Room project tackles the timeworn theme of aging and youth. Smith presents his new video Excuse me!?!...I'm looking for the 'Fountain of Youth', interrupted by live appearances of Mike wandering in and out of various scenes around the water cooler during his final days at the office.
Smith’s impressive exhibition history since the mid-70s includes the Whitney Museum, Metropolitan Museum, New York and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead. Recent solo performances and presentations include Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, MoMA, New York, Glasgow International, Greene Naftali in New York, Hales Gallery in London, Dan Gunn in Berlin, and Ellen de Bruijne Projects in Amsterdam. Smith lives and works in Brooklyn, New York and Austin, Texas.
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Streamed live across the world
Performance Room is a series of performances streamed live across the world via Tate’s website and YouTube Channel. Tune in on Thursday nights at 20:00 (GMT) from 19 November – 10 December and see performances by Mary Reid Kelley, Otobong Nkanga, Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa and Michael Smith streamed live to you.
The global online audience is invited to join the online performance space via YouTube, and encouraged to chat with other viewers via social media channels during the performance and to put questions to the artist or curator for the live Q&A following the performance.
Each performance is then archived and available to view online after the event. Watch Performance Room 2012, Performance Room 2013, or Performance Room 2014.
