Felix Bernstein Discusses Jack Smith's Legacy Ahead of Whitney Performance

Brooklyn artist Felix Bernstein reflects on his intricate connection with the late queer artist Jack Smith during a dialogue with Jay Sanders, a curator at the Whitney Museum. Their meeting took place on the Lower East Side of New York, where Bernstein observed how Smith’s absence and his non-judgmental approach shaped his own art. He expresses discontent with oversimplified representations of Smith, who resisted being idolized or categorized as subversive performance art. Bernstein draws a parallel between Smith's untreatable condition and the tragic loss of his father in a maritime incident. On January 15th and 16th at 9 PM, Bernstein will present "Bieber Bathos Elegy" at the Whitney Museum, criticizing artists who superficially invoke Smith while maintaining conventional aesthetics, highlighting his enduring legacy of uncertainty.