FACE OFF / DANCE OFF AT NORWOOD ARTS CLUB, PRESENTED BY XXXX MAGAZINE & JOSEPH GRAZI

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On February 3, 2011, Norwood, the members only arts club in Chelsea, was taken over by XXXX Magazine’s FACE OFF / DANCE OFF contemporary art happening, presented in collaboration with Indira Cesarine and artist Joseph Grazi.   The guests of the event in effect became part of the performance itself. As each guest arrived they were presented with an all white mask to wear for the evening – all identical, creating an anonymous environment and ultimate uninhibited playground. Many of the guests customised their masks, and the evening was highlighted by performances by bands Hank & Cupcakes and Nicos Gun. The masquerade evening tuned into a mad head tossing affair when the bands started performing. At 11pm Nicos Guns took to the stage and the audience was filled with white faces pounding to the music in unison.

Artist Joseph Grazi, who was featured in XXXX Magazine’s Voyeur Exhibit at Art Basel Miami, 2010, collaborated with XXXX Magazine’s Creative Director Indira Cesarine to create an event that was about spontaneous performance art merging with real life, taking it to a new level of madness as the guests became the part of the art itself.” The masks encourage a new type of socialization, where as normally the face dictates so greatly on who you talk to… and who you dance with, but with the masks on, everyone gets brought onto the same level of facelessness…  and thus into a new form of social interaction. “- Joseph Grazi. Grazi has a history of exploring themes of “facelessness” in his work, having presented numerous performances highlighting the theme. He created an abstract brand “Parker Wolf“, which was created in response to society’s continuously growing obsession with fame and individualism.  Referring to his performances with Parker Wolf, he says “they form a massive living sculpture, one that creates the ultimate visual contrast against a sea of people gone mad with celebrity, and obsessed with the materialism of their own personal identities”

Guests included Voyeur exhibit curators Anne Huntington and Gary Krimershmoys, Christopher Pastor from American Friend’s of the Louvre, Artist Ben Olson, XXXX Magazine contributing director Edward Symes, curator and journalist Aniko Berman, Voyeur exhibit artists Annika Connor and Isaac Fortoul, Anne Grauso, Daniel Arrango, Janine Durham, Heather Payne, among many others…

Stay tuned for future XXXX happenings…  coming soon!

Invitation photos by Indira Cesarine, event photos by Indira Cesarine, Jeffrey Gamble, Benjamin Gustafsson and Thomas Mendes.