Nico Vascellari's 24-Hour Live Performance 'Do You Trust Me'

Nico Vascellari performed a 24-hour live stream titled 'Do You Trust Me' from his Rome studio via Codalunga's YouTube channel on May 3-4, 2020, the last day of Italy's COVID-19 lockdown. Dressed in black and barefoot, he obsessively repeated the phrase 'I Trusted You' over distorted guitar riffs. The performance drew 500-600 concurrent viewers, including VIPs and critics. The work references Andy Kaufman's 1977 'I Trusted You' bit, where Kaufman mocked audiences as Elvis. Vascellari transformed Kaufman's 3-minute joke into a marathon endurance piece, exploring themes of trust, ritual, and collective experience in the digital age. The event was promoted via social media by numerous celebrities, generating both mockery and praise. Critics noted its shamanic quality and its resonance with lockdown anxieties. The performance was organized by Codalunga, Vascellari's gallery in Vittorio Veneto.