On May 11, 2016, audience members gathered in the gallery of Descent, a group exhibition curated by Whitney-Lauder Curatorial Fellow Charlotte Ickes, for a special evening of performances and conversation called “Reflect and Recite.”

First, dressed in period costume, Karina Aguilera Skvirsky reprised her mother’s poetry recitals, reciting in dramatic fashion the work of three Latin American poets against the backdrop of projected vintage photographs from her mother’s past performances. Los poemas que declamaba mi mamá (The Poems My Mother Recited) (2010-present), is seen here in full.

Following Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, artist duo Matriarch—Maren Hassinger and Ava Hassinger—animated the gallery space with their new performance What Goes Around Comes Around (2016), a participatory performance that considers the importance of reflection as well as sustained reciprocal exchanges between artist and audience. The following video is an excerpt from their performance.

A question-and-answer session between audience and artists followed What Goes Around Comes Around.

Video footage was shot by William Hidalgo and Derek Rigby and edited by Derek Rigby.
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