David Michalek is an American visual artist and director whose work is closely tied to an interest in the contemporary person, which he explores through live performance, filmmaking, photography, drawing, installation, relational aesthetics, and public projects. He often concentrates on carefully staged marginal moments that develop density with minimal action. Examining notions of durational and rhythmic time, his works aim to engage and generate intimate yet open-ended narratives.
Michalek’s installation for New York City Ballet’s 2024 Art Series, “SlowDancing/NYCB,” is a deep dive into the distinctive archive and style of a single ballet company that has become one of the most important artistic engines, and creative mainstays, of New York’s cultural fabric. Operating in a realm between action and image, animation and immobility, theater and painting, the installation features hyper-slow-moving images of 20 of NYCB’s current dancers performing iconic moments from the company’s unparalleled repertory in celebration of its 75th Anniversary Season.
Michalek’s work will be on view at three special New York City Ballet Art Series performances on February 3, 8, and 23. Tickets are $40.
To learn more and purchase tickets, visit nycballet.com/artseries.