Artist Paul Maheke on Politics and Performance Art

This episode, we are delighted to be joined by the multi-disciplinary artist and dear friend Paul Maheke.

Based in London but originally from France, Paul’s practice focused on dance but encompasses a collaborative body of work comprising performance, installation, sound and video. His work considers the potential of the body as an archive in order to examine how memory and identity is formed and constituted.

Recent solo exhibitions include “A fire circle for a public hearing” at the Chisenhale gallery in London (2018) and Vleeshal Middelburg (2019), and “I Lost Track of the Swarm” at the South London Gallery (2016).

Paul has also performed his work at major events across the world, including at the 2019 Venice Biennale (which was curated by another guest, Aaron Cezar), the 2019 Performa Biennial in New York, and the 2018 Baltic Triennial in Estonia (which is where I actually had the true pleasure of getting to meet Paul).

He completed an MA Art Practice from École nationale supérieure d'arts de Cergy (2011) and was an Associate of Open School East's Programme of study. He is represented by Galerie Sultana and Goodman Gallery.

His most recent work, Taboo Durag, is a new solo performance touching on personal trauma and healing and is part of the Glasgow International 2021. It is viewable every Saturday from 19 June – 31 July, midnight – midnight BST as part of the Digital Programming for the Glasgow International. In June it was announced that he had been commissioned by Artangel to produce a sound art and installations at Orford Ness, a barren shingle spit on England's Suffolk Coast, exploring the history of 'the island of secrets.'

Some artists discussed in this episode:

• Surya Bonaly (ice skater)
• Michael Jackson
• Audre Lorde
• Felix Gonzalez-Torres
• Édouard Glissant (writer)
• Paul B. Preciado (writer)
• Grace Jones
• Lauren Hill
• Beyonce
• Björk
• Hannah Black
• Fred Moten
• Wu Tsang
• Bruce Nauman

For images, artworks, and more behind the scenes goodness, follow @artfromtheoutsidepodcast on Instagram.