Molissa Fenley: Bardo
Molissa Fenley’s Bardo, first conceived as an homage to artist Keith Haring (1958—1990), was presented by the New York City AIDS Memorial on what would have been Haring’s 67th birthday and 35 years to the day after its original premiere at Haring’s memorial service at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Being seen for the first time in 30 years, the troupe performed Bardo twice back-to-back, representing the passage of time between the work’s origins and the current remount, as well as the time between now and Haring’s passing.
Fenley first met Haring in his hometown of Kutztown, PA, while she was a visiting artist at the local University. The two would become friends and collaborators, even creating a video work together, titled “Video Clones” (1978), while Haring was still a student at the School of Visual Arts. In Bardo, Fenley pays tribute to Haring’s legacy while she mourns his passing. The work’s title is drawn from a Tibetan word suggesting the dreamlike passage between one’s death and their reincarnation. Bardo incorporates stillness and movement in movements that evoke a space being repeatedly emptied and filled, perhaps a reflection on the liminal space between death and birth.
Role: Commissioner/Producer
with Nick Hallett, Curator
Date: May 4, 2024
Location: LGBT Community Center, New York
Photographs © Julie Lemberger
