Image: Rad Mora. Courtesy Anonymous Club.
February 10 – 12, 2022
The Griffin Theater
Commissioned by The Shed, Anonymous Club, led by designer and creative director Shayne Oliver, presents HEADLESS: The Demonstration, a three-night live exhibition spanning music, fashion, and performance in The Shed’s Griffin Theater on February 10, 11, and 12 during New York Fashion Week.
Originally conceived as a series of parties in New York City in 2017, Anonymous Club has grown into a working community of artists invited by Oliver to develop new personas and refine their creative practices. HEADLESS: The Demonstration celebrates the vibrant culture the studio has defined and redefined over the years with their family of artistic collaborators.
Each of the three nights centers core aspects of their unique working dynamic, highlighting the ways mentorship and collective experimentation nurture radical art-making.
Night One: MUSEUM, February 10, 2022
MUSEUM night will spotlight influential figures in Anonymous Club’s community as well as pay homage to central people and works from Oliver’s past, featuring musical performances throughout the night.
Night Two: COLLECTIVE, February 11, 2022
COLLECTIVE night showcases collaborative work through fashion and music, including an introduction to SHAYNEOLIVER, Oliver’s new namesake brand. Oliver and Arca’s joint music project, WENCH, will soundtrack the night with the debut of a new project.
Night Three: CLUB, February 12, 2022
From thriving in energetic nightlife spaces, Oliver has always intertwined music with other aspects of his practice such as his production-based music project and alias, LEECH. CLUB night centers around the space Anonymous Club holds in New York nightlife and electronic/club music scenes. During the evening, LEECH will debut a new project and feature performances with special guests. LEECH reflects Anonymous Club’s ethos of surrendering individuality to the chaos of varied selves.
HEADLESS will feature costuming and wardrobe designed by SHAYNEOLIVER for Anonymous Club, and will present an array of artists and original collaborative work including music from LEECH, WENCH, Ian Isiah, Eartheater, TOTALFREEDOM, Izzy Spears, Deli Girls, Shannon Funchess (LIGHT ASYLUM), and a DJ set by OMAR S (FXHE DETROIT) with additional artists to be announced.
“Shayne Oliver is a genuine artistic innovator across and between creative practices.” said Alex Poots, Artistic Director and CEO of The Shed. “There is a shared commitment to experimentation that brought Anonymous Club and The Shed together, and it’s an honor for us to co-produce and host an event series of this quality and intention.”
“Given The Shed’s commitment to nurturing innovative interdisciplinary practice, I am thrilled to be working closely with Shayne Oliver and Anonymous Club on their ambitious commission, inspired by the concept of ‘headlessness,’ a term coined by Oliver,” said Alessandra Gómez, assistant curator at The Shed. “To be headless is his own version of ‘carrying,’ a popular word from within the ballroom vogue scene that refers to an excessive and boundless attitude across fashion, movement and persona. Anonymous Club embraces headlessness as a state of freedom that allows collective authorship to bring together their various styles and influences, a true testament to their radical approach to art-making. We’re honored to share their groundbreaking work with our audiences.”
Tickets are on sale now at theshed.org. All events at The Shed follow the latest health and safety guidelines available at theshed.org/visit.
ANONYMOUS CLUB PREVIEWS TWO NEW SONGS AHEAD OF HEADLESS:
LEECH, “Freak” – Listen to “Freak”
Anonymous Club, Izzy Spears, LEECH, “Hollywood Meltdown” – Listen to “Hollywood Meltdown”
LISTEN TO ANONYMOUS CLUB’S SCREENSAVERS VOL. 1 COMPILATION: HERE
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Shayne Oliver was born in Minnesota and spent his early childhood in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to Brooklyn during his formative years and founding Hood By Air in 2006. Over the past decade, Oliver has become known for his distinctive take on culture, playing with the ideas of power, race, and gender.
Anonymous Club is a multidisciplinary studio led by Shayne Oliver (founder of Hood By Air), working in the idioms of art, performance, and music. Anonymous Club creates radical art and artifacts designed to upend tradition, infiltrate the mainstream, and remake pop culture in its image.
SUPPORT
The creation of new work at The Shed is generously supported by the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Commissioning Fund and the Shed Commissioners. Major support for live productions at The Shed is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund.
ABOUT THE SHED
The Shed is a new cultural institution of and for the 21st century. We produce and welcome innovative art and ideas, across all forms of creativity, to build a shared understanding of our rapidly changing world and a more equitable society. In our highly adaptable building on Manhattan’s west side, The Shed brings together established and emerging artists to create new work in fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. We seek opportunities to collaborate with cultural peers and community organizations, work with like-minded partners, and provide unique spaces for private events. As an independent nonprofit that values invention, equity, and generosity, we are committed to advancing art forms, addressing the urgent issues of our time, and making our work impactful, sustainable, and relevant to the local community, the cultural sector, New York City, and beyond.
