Performa, a non-profit multidisciplinary arts organization established by RoseLee Goldberg in 2004, is dedicated to exploring the critical role of live performance in the history of twentieth century art and to encouraging new directions in performance for the twenty-first century. Performa launched New York’s first performance biennial, Performa 05, in 2005.
Performa’s Objectives are:
– Commission new performance projects in visual arts
– Present a dedicated performance biennial
– Consult and collaborate with art institutions and performing art presenters around the world to create dynamic and historically significant performance programs
– Offer an ongoing educational platform for expanding the knowledge and understanding of this critical area of visual art and cultural history
So far Performa has produced biennials of live performance to critical acclaim, triggering a new trend in museum and exhibition planning around the world. Important exhibitions at institutions such as the MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Whitney in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Garage Center for Contemporary Art in Moscow, have mounted major new performance art exhibitions and presentations in response to Performa’s efforts over the past years.
Performa is a leading authority for the production and presentation of contemporary performance from around the world, as well as showcasing groundbreaking precedents from the history of performance.