Performance collective My Barbarian confronts political crises, both real and allegorical, through site-specific works that reference historical, contemporary, and mythological cultures.

My Barbarian

The interdisciplinary performance collective My Barbarian draws from pop culture, history, and mythology for their works, which range from video installations to site-specific plays, to musical events. Founded by Malik Gaines, Jade Gordon, and Alexandro Segade, the group self-consciously performs counter-culture in an effort to address contemporary sociopolitical, economic, and cultural systems. In their project The Golden Age (2007), the group performs a campy hybrid song and dance, mixing R&B, slave work songs, and Macarena-like dance. The work reflects critically on action and labor while forcing audiences to confront the African slave trade as each viewer chants along, following in mass imitation. My Barbarian has performed and exhibited in a wide range of venues including MOCA-LA, LAXART, the Whitney Museum, the New Museum, and the 2005 and 2007 Performa Biennials. The group received an Art Matters grant in 2008, and had their first solo exhibition at a commercial gallery in 2009.

Founded 2000 in Los Angeles, CA.