What do Ellis Island and abandoned buildings have in common with sleeping, drawing, and cross-dressing? In the case of performance artist Nikhil Chopra, moonlighting as a Victorian draftsman named Yog Raj Chitrakar for a project at the New Museum, documenting the history of old places becomes a ritualistic spectacle when partnered with a peek into the artist’s everyday routine. (Bonus: this exhibition has nothing to do with Dakis Joannou and donor-related NuMu catfights.) Combining “self-portraiture, autobiography, history, fantasy, and sexuality,” Chopra as Yog Raj is visiting New York landmarks throughout November in the process of creating large-scale charcoal drawings that form a panoramic view of a city in flux. Follow along on his journey with our exclusive behind-the-scenes image gallery, after the jump.
