Jo Shane's Cryotherapy Performance at Blade Study Gallery Explores Healthcare and Accessibility

Jo Shane presented a solo exhibition titled 'Lilies Into the Void' at Blade Study gallery in New York's Lower East Side during June. The exhibition featured an installation resembling an aesthetician's office, serving as the setting for a performance series called 'Seen/Unseen' (2025). On select days, Shane administered topical cryotherapy facials to visitors using nitrogen-cooled air in 30-minute sessions. The artist wore a white lab coat labeled 'Facilitator' and provided the treatments free of charge, aiming to offer the same experience typically costing $50 to $70. The exhibition addressed themes of polycrisis, with text pieces declaring 'WE ARE INFLAMED ON EVERY LEVEL' and referencing various therapeutic modalities. During the opening program, dancers and performance artists were directed to have 'authentic experiences' with the installation by movement consultant Sigrid Lauren. Artist Al Freeman participated in a session, while the critic noted similarities to other artist-run ventures like Coda hair salon at Lubov and the planned revival of FOOD restaurant by Lucien Smith. Shane previously told BOMB magazine in 1990 about operating on 'utopian cliché' rather than irony, and her earlier work included monuments to friends lost to AIDS. The performance raised questions about art's relationship to marketing and healthcare accessibility.