The No Wave Performance Task Force (NWPTF) is a collective that enables performative social sculpture, practicing feminist construction rather than reacting solely to existing conditions of patriarchy, gender, sexuality and “Other” vs. “Us” dichotomies. Founded through a residency at Gibney Dance by Lindsey Drury, the No Wave Performance Task Force has since become a moniker for collaborative projects and alternatively-formed performance exhibitions organized by Ivy Castellanos (director of IV Soldiers Gallery, sculptor and performance artist) Christen Clifford (professor, writer and performance artist), Lindsey Drury (choreographer, performance artist), and Esther Neff (founder of Panoply Performance Laboratory, performance artist). We use the title NWPTF to frame our constructive and formal realizations of feminist ethics in performance.

50+ women artists have made work as part of the NWPTF. The collective is open and boundless, a concept rather than an organization. In July 2013, NWPTF scheduled three Thursdays, including “FEMINIST REVOLUTION,” organized by Ivy Castellanos, “LABOR DEBATE II,” organized by Lindsey Drury and “WE ARE SCORES,” organized by Esther Neff. Each exhibition involved artists in performative analysis of feminist ethics.

1.) FEMINIST REVOLUTION took place in a large box divided into four compartments and built by the curator in her studio. Two artists worked in each compartment, sometimes together, other times solo.

2.) LABOR DEBATE II was a public meeting. Participants answered survey questions and took turns acting as a mouthpiece (“being ventriloquized”) and whispering into the ear of the “dummy” (“ventriloquizer”). Issues were raised and debated.

3.) WE ARE SCORES was a series of solo performances and lectures by ten performance artists.

This exhibition series occurred in addition to several collaborative, durational performances made by NWPTF in 2013.