Brian Belott's Dada-Inspired Performance 'People Pie Pool' Blends Chaos and Community

Brian Belott staged 'People Pie Pool' for Performa 17 in New York during November, a commissioned ensemble work featuring comedians, basketball players, lecturers, dancers, marching bands, and an orchestra using unconventional instruments like can openers and golf balls. The performance included a parody art auction where paintings by friends including Joe Bradley, Katherine Bernhardt, Jamian Juliano-Villani, and Eddie Martinez were shredded on stage, then stuffed into plastic pens as gifts. Belott describes his approach as Dada-inspired, seeking to create chaotic experiences reminiscent of Andy Kaufman's 1979 Radio City Music Hall show. His 2017 exhibition 'Dr. Kid President Jr.' at Gavin Brown's Enterprise in New York displayed forged children's paintings alongside hundreds of authentic works from Rhoda Kellogg's archive, with community art classes for Harlem youth. Belott frequently collaborates with New York artists and friends, having previously performed at London's Serpentine Galleries in 2016. He views professionalism as essential for artists, contrasting it with childhood creativity while acknowledging influences from figures like Mike Kelley and Bruce Nauman. The artist's paintings incorporate glittery colors and dollar-store materials, balancing Henri Matisse's chromatic simplicity with art brut energy. Belott reflects on Dada's 105th anniversary, questioning how to authentically commemorate a movement that defies historicization.