Naughty Nymphs in the Courtyard of the Favorites, conceptualized and directed by Paulina Olowska, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, April 23, 2022.
Five nymphs, performed by Tara Aisha Willis, Yana Verba, Angelica Holland, Roxane Danset-Mahoney, and Cristal Sabbagh, walked into a courtyard with an air of decisiveness and strength. There was a sound of wind blowing. Each of their loose-fitting garments—long dresses, skirts, trousers, and frocks with trains and frills, made of tulle, chiffon, satin, and sequined lace—was uniquely designed. They rivaled in their avant-garde drapery the stiff folds of the sculptures in the atrium. Lace-up heeled booties, high heels, cowboy boots, high tops, and slippers completed their ensembles. Their faces were painted: some with black makeup around the eyes, others completely white, and one with clownish cheeks. The nymphs sat on white cast-iron garden settees, lounged in an Emperor-style rattan armchair, posed nonchalantly, danced to music, or...