Perfume Genius @ The Broad 6/25/16
The Broad’s Nonobject(ive): Summer Happenings… series is intended to merge the visual objects present at the museum alongside performance pieces, creating a more immersive experience for the viewer.
The first program draws from the Broad’s inaugural special collection, Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life, a collection of Sherman’s cinematic depictions of identity and cultural imagery. The self-awareness behind Sherman’s work (herself being the main subject in her photography) lends the exhibition its own sense of omniscience. Surrounded by Sherman’s own eyes, you are subjected to her gaze as well, one which implores you to draw your own conclusions.
The third floor of the museum hosted musical acts Lotic and Cindytalk amidst the works of Jeff Koontz, Andy Warhol and Takeshi Murakami. Both electronic acts furnished vibrantly unique soundscapes in the echos of the Broad, Lotic’s transporting viewers to the depths of sci-fi outer space while Cindytalk’s took us through the clouds (both the fluffy and the stormy kind).
Below on the second floor was the Mutant Salon, where attendees could get their nails, hair and/or face done by any one of the eclectically styled members of the collective. Inspired by the Sherman prints, the salon walked the line between opulence and decadence, members and attendees alike getting spruced up with outlandish nails, vibrant makeup and outrageous wigs.
Meanwhile, on the outside Plaza stage, Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, pulled viewers into his web of personality. Much like the Sherman prints, Hadreas embodied numerous personas upon the stage for both the audience’s entertainment and their observation. Whether shouting or serenading or simply playing with his shadow, Hadreas gave it all 100%, performing in a visual as much as a musical sense. The stage’s dazzling illumination fused well with Hadreas’ towering arrangements, with tracks like “Grid” engulfing the entire area in light and sound. By the finale, the soaring “Queen,” he’d taken us through an explicit yet sincere journey of the life of Perfume Genius, one filled with wonder, sorrow and absolutely no apologies.
