A humor at once tragic, comic, and pathetic is the landmark feature of American artist Michael Smith’s performance, staged by his alter ego Mike – a recurrent main character in his creations, be they video, installation or performance. Mike is an ordinary man who, according to the author, “believes everything and understands nothing” in his information-overloaded world. The character has experienced run-of-the-mill, day-to-day scenes that reveal his hilarious fruitless efforts at becoming successful, in a harsh critique of the world of consumption and mass culture. In the Festival performance, Smith presents Mike as the latter gets ready for a party that may never happen; themes like exclusion, loneliness and frivolities occupy Mike’s mind throughout the day. In Smith’s work, video language emerged as a medium in which to develop a narrative, woven by his alter ego, who is openly inspired in famous film comedians like Buster Keaton.
- Further info on A Night with Mike in Collection