Tara Subkoff Opened Her 2023 Abstract Performance Series

Artist Tara Subkoff described her new performance piece as a three part journey. Actress Jamie King starred in the cacophonic multimedia show. Poet Monique Erickson read an emotional poem about motherhood. MET opera and blues singers delivered marvelous vocals. Subkoff’s performance piece reflected on comfort, conflict, and trauma.

The title ‘WHAT IS COMING AND WHAT IS GOING’ came from a Colombian herbal medicinal phrase. It meant that painful occurrences will pass. Subkoff’s piece explores difficult relationships with egos and false narratives. Artcoded produced the show. TCS Holdings offered generous support. The Hole Gallery hosted the event during Frieze LA Week.

Subkoff structured her live show in three acts. She called her three acts ‘circles.’ Each reflected on a different stage of human development. The first depicted birth while the second portrayed puberty. The third consisted of a purification ritual. The three acts connected with audiences through music, dance, and prayer.

The ‘first circle’ depicted a birth and new beginning. Young ballerinas aged six to eighteen years old performed an improvisational dance to a chaotic sound bath. Upcoming singer/songwriter Blessing provided the harmonious and noisy tune. Lead actress King offered her authentic emotions. The ‘second circle’ displayed an impressive array of talent.

The ‘second circle’ portrayed adulthood through deceptive tricks and false narratives. Dancers aged eighteen to sixty-five years old performed Subkoff’s contemporary choreography. MET opera and blues singers provided stellar vocals. Contortionists impressed the audience. Poet Monique Erickson read a poem about motherhood, rebirth, and ancestral power.

 The ‘third circle’ portrayed a cultural ‘puja.’ Gyaltsen Chopel, Geshi Sonam Dakpa, and Shaman Sudama performed the authentic purification ritual. Combined with chanting and singing, they reversed negative karma. Through the authentic prayer, Subkoff discussed death and rebirth. “Only by letting go of ego and experiencing ego death can we be free of the programming of our childhood,” said Subkoff.

The piece encouraged attendee participation. The ‘Distraction’ and ‘Chaos’ segments especially requested this. A live auction occured in the adjacent parking lot. In the bid, guests could buy the artist’s artwork and certain belongings. The act symbolized new beginnings. “By entering into the piece, you are a part of the art and therefore become an artist yourself,” said Subkoff.

In a surprising twist, a K-POP vignette interrupted the show. It teased Subkoff’s upcoming show in Seoul. The performance piece will support Korean artists, actors, and dancers. The play will continue collaborative pieces initially presented in Los Angeles.

Attendees received a lavish free gift: C-CASH smart currency. With the hybrid virtual currency, guests redeemed a special NFT. Subkoff created the digital art piece as an event memento. Through technological innovation, TGS supports female artists and abstract art.

High-profile entertainers attended the abstract performance piece. Actresses Milla Jovovich and Ever Anderson praised Subkoff’s abstract portfolio. Other guests included Awkwafina, Ione Skye, and Natasha Lyonne.

In her artist statement, Subkoff discussed the exciting world of performance. She said, “We all are human beings who thrive in community. She encouraged the public to “connect to each other instead of the screens in our hands.”