Malik Gaines

Biography

Malik Gaines is hailed by Artforum as a genre-defying “writer, performer and collectivist.” In 2000, the interdisciplinary artist and scholar co-founded the musical performance art group My Barbarian, which has been featured at The Whitney Biennial, two California biennials and the Baltic Triennial, among many other prestigious exhibitions. In 2021, The Whitney Museum presented the group’s 20-year survey of work, which included an exhibition, performance program, and publication. According to the museum, the group’s artistic presentations “theatricalize social issues, adapting narratives from modern plays, historical texts and mass media into structures for their performances.” Gaines also makes work in other collaborations, including “Star Choir,” a music and video piece with Alexandro Segade supported recently by the Park Avenue Armory and Williams College; and, during the pandemic, Gaines gave frequent solo concerts on social media. Gaines’ book “Black Performance on the Outskirts of the Left” (NYU Press) traces political ideas through performances from the 1960s onward. A continuing book project, “Future Ruins,” supported by a Warhol Foundation grant, explores contemporary artworks and performances that mark the limits of national sovereignty. Gaines’ writing about art and performance has appeared in Art Journal, Women & Performance and Artforum, among other publications. Gaines has written essays for numerous exhibition catalogs and artist’s books, for artists including Lorraine O’Grady, Jacolby Satterwhite, Kehinde Wiley, Senga Nengudi, Pope.L, The Judson Dance Theater, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Ed Bereal. Gaines has curated and co-curated performance programs and exhibitions, including Made in L.A. 2012 at the Hammer Museum and LAXART. Gaines is associate professor of Performance Studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.