Everyone Wore Black and White to Honor Adam Pendleton at the Performa Gala

Wednesday night, Performa hosted its annual spring gala for the first time in three years. For the triumphant homecoming of the event, the non-profit arts organization, which puts on the Performa Biennial, honored artist Adam Pendleton, known for his acclaimed multidisciplinary explorations of language and historical context. 

The consummate hostess of the night, RoseLee Goldberg—the South African-born curator and historian who founded the organization in 2004—greeted her guests as they arrived at 99 Scott Studio in Bushwick. Inside the industrial warehouse, a surreal performance transported listeners: four pianists simultaneously playing arrangements by conductor Luciano Chessa. The sound filled the space to the rafters. 

The creative crowd generally observed the invitation’s edict to dress in black and white, a nod to Pendleton’s palette. Notable exceptions included queer artist Chella Man, who dressed in a green Gucci suit, and Maya Margarita, who appeared in a cloud of pink.

In a sun-drenched side room, inky pastels and parchment papers surrounded taxidermy birds on an industrial table. Amateur and professional artists alike took turns rendering the colorful avifauna. 

Outside, in a flowering garden, a spectacular feast awaited attendees. Waiters served baskets of bread, bowls of potatoes, and platters of lamb to circulate family-style. The familial energy infused the entire night. Free from the decorum attached to many galas, revelers moved from table to table. As the light dipped, a cool breeze whipped through the banquet. Wrapped in blankets and clutching goblets of wine, guests continued their conversations—after all, there was much to catch up on since 2019.

In her toast the artist, Goldberg recalled the beginning of her relationship with Pennelton, then 22. Nervous that his youth would discount him, the painter told the curator that he was 28. Upon discovering the deception, Goldberg shrugged and told him. “How old was Mozart when he wrote his first symphony? You’re old.”