Miles Greenberg Rehearses Myths for the Future
The artist’s performance videos invoke the wild, inestimable human spirit and make Black people the characters of universal stories.
In Stowe, Vermont, artist Miles Greenberg presents his latest video installation, "TЯUTH" (2023), at his solo exhibition at the Current. The piece is a condensed version of a seven-hour durational performance conducted in 2023 at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, New York. Although the performers, all Black, engage in dramatic swordplay, Greenberg assures that they have rehearsed thoroughly, not to cause injury.
The swords used in the performance are steel, but their edges have been dulled to ensure safety. The installation showcases the performers' skill and artistry through their choreographed swordplay.
One standout moment in the video occurs when Greenberg himself, one of the performers, transfers the black pigment from his sword to his tongue, smiling at the camera as he does so. This act evokes Friedrich Nietzsche's idea that our ancestors were once untamed and unpredictable, contrary to the predictable and law-bound society we have developed.
In the adjoining gallery, Greenberg's second work, "LE MIROIR" (2025), further emphasizes the theme of our wild and untamed nature. This video installation, displayed on six monitors arranged in a circle, consists of a recording of a 2025 performance held at Marrakesh's historic El Badi Palace for the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, combined with footage shot in the Emirati desert near Oman.
The performers, clad in black and wielding swords, stand atop plinths with mirrored surfaces or are seated within a pool of water. As they strike stylized poses, their eyes appear entirely white, adding to their mystical and magical appearance. The performers are accompanied by local animals, such as piebald pythons and white storks, which may symbolize their spirit guides.
A central part of "LE MIROIR" depicts Greenberg and another man engaging in physical play reminiscent of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. These scenes suggest a powerful love story, inspired by ancient mythology, which appears to be an apt description of Greenberg's work.
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