Revolution
by Toni Nagy
2021
I have been a stand up comedian for many years and always aim to provoke, prod, and penetrate people's psyches - but only with their consent of course. My work involves dancing with my body while words twirl from my mouth.
I aim to bring to life information that is important to digest while undulating and gyrating to help the message slide through your colon with ease.
I was a dance and philosophy major in college and this work is the marriage between my two greatest passions. I discuss relevant topics of the current state of the world while interpretive dancing my feelings simultaneously.
I allow my body to express my emotions while deep diving into the issues that face us all.
In conversation with Toni..
During "IN CONVERSATION WITH.." we want to give the artists through a series of questions to introduce themselves and to relate their practice and their work to the topic of the exhibtion. We welcome Toni Nagy:
Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Toni Nagy and I am a stand up comic, filmmaker, and dancer. My work is quasi-radical, pseudo-philosophical, somewhat existential, and mostly funny. I aim to be microdosing personified.
How would you describe your practice?
My practice is both body centered and intellectually driven. I pick a topic I want to explore, and then dive into the cerebral aspect of it. I research for some time and deeply contemplate what my personal take is. I ask myself "How can I add to the current dialogue?" "What can I say to further the conversation?" I am a practicing Buddhist, so I often bring the influence of that philosophy into my thinking. I want to add positive energy into the interwebs even when discussing complex topics. I will write a vague script of what I want to say, and then film myself dancing while exploring my writing. I then edit it to focus on the most potent parts.
What has the biggest influence on your works?
I am a comedian at heart, so the people that influence me the most are subversive comics that challenge the status quo.
What is your relation to the term revolution?
I loved the assignment of "revolution," and am very honored to be collaborating with other artists who are interested in paradigm shift thinking.
What does revolution mean to you?
Revolution to me I think is a revolution of the psyche. It's about humans having a spiritual awakening where they face themselves, their traumas, their fears. Only when we heal ourselves can we start to heal society.
Would you consider yourself an activist?
Yes I would consider myself an activist