Anger as Currency: a participatory performance lecture and writing workshop with Christian Cruz
Program Date: Wednesday, September 9th, 2020
Anger as Currency was a hybrid participatory performance lecture and writing workshop with performance artist Christian Cruz that incorporates lip syncing and channeling as a medium to facilitate trust and healing.
Participants were able to share their current anger or frustrations and exchange those sentiments for a bid in an auction! What is the currency and value of your anger or frustration? How much does a zine, painting, or drawing cost in an anger-based value system? What is negotiated for stories and feelings of sentiments? How are movements and technologies channeling these exchanges?
About Christian Cruz and Auctioned Artworks
Christian Cruz (b.1989) has been creating live events professionally since 2010. Cruz is a mother and an award winning multi-media artist. Her work takes the form of performance, installation, video, and photo within a visual arts context. As a first generation American, her performances often share Mexican customs. Other themes in Cruz’s work include Chicanisma (Mexican American feminism), labor/struggle, digital intimacy, and futurist folklore. Ranging from short solo performances to solo endurance performances, and large scale collaborative group performances, they are always site specific works. She incorporates song, technology and social engagement. Cruz has held a poetry residency at The National Museum of Mexican Art, and multiple teaching artists residencies in poetry, spoken word, curating, and installation at Yollocalli Arts Reach and Redmoon Theater in Chicago, IL. She has given guest lectures at SAIC, and several poetry readings national-wide. Cruz has presented works at Dfbrl8r Performance Art Gallery (Chicago), Chicago Cultural Center, The Black Box Theater in Boston for the Arts, Smack Mellon (NYC), and The MAC (Dallas) among other institutions. She has performed in festivals such as Experimental Action in Houston, Pittsburgh’s Performance Art Festival, Performance is Alive at Satellite Art Fair and more. As well as museums and universities across Mexico City including Museo Universitario del Chopo, Centro Cultural Tlatelolco, Teatro de Danza, Centro de Cultural de España and ISSTE Interfaz Acapulco in Acapulco, Mexico. Most recently, Cruz created “Artist Mama Fund” for single mothers who are artists. Her solo show, “I don’t dream of labor: Living Portraits of a 1st generation Chicana” for Eastfield College and her performance “Doble XV” for Aurora Dallas are among several shows which have been postponed due to COVID-19 this year. Cruz is a grantee of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and EASL Grant. She is eagerly awaiting the premiere of her mini-doc, video feature by Remezcla. Follow her online @tejanastories.