Winners is a trophy come to life. Performers clad in metallic gold unitards try —and fail—to hold their heroic poses. These soft-bodied, distractible figures are far from the polished trophy toppers or the airbrushed “winners” circulated on social media. The video pokes at some core values of U.S. culture: individualism, the supposed meritocracy promised by our democratic ideals, and our tendency to compete and rank—where one person’s win comes at another’s loss. Ultimately, what I most admire in humans is a willingness to try to build something. Effort is often sweaty and awkward.
(Below) Installation of Winners at the Whitcomb Hotel in downtown San Francisco.
