Anastasia Bay, Maestra Lacrymae, Acte V, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Venus Over Manhattan, New York.
Anastasia Bay, Maestra Lacrymae, Acte V, Venus Over Manhattan
Created specifically for the fair, this debut piece is a continuation of Bay’s recent solo exhibition this past summer at Sorry We’re Closed. Resembling a harlequin puppet who has featured in previous works, this colossal figure lies across a long plinth, its distorted face and characteristic powder blue costume that looks like a Victorian circus frock equally alluring and ghoulish. Behind the figure hangs a triptych with more characters central to Bay’s work, including opera singers, deviants, and howling pedestrians that fade into the horizon. One look at Bay herself and it is clear that, in a way, she is the original artwork. The performative way in which she expresses herself, from her social media handle to her extensive bibliography, can’t help but be passed from the artist to what she produces.
