Niv Acosta

Movement and performance artist Niv Acosta uses the medium of dance to explore the concept of personal histories and time. Inspired by various principles of mathematics, science, and technology, Acosta incorporates science fiction, disco beats, and theoretical astrophysics to formulate progressive ideas about racial and sexual identity.  A transgender man, his work intersects with these topics of race and gender to explore the idea of “impossible bodies,” moving outside the boundaries of “safe environments.” Exploring the representations of black men in the media, Acosta uses the figure of Denzel Washington in many of his pieces, employing the name to make even the most difficult performance accessible to a wide range of audiences. Like the disco music and science fiction he incorporates into his work, “Denzel” is broadly appealing, a fact that Acosta uses to explore his own multifaceted identity.

Acosta has performed at a number of institutions including Studio 34, Philadelphia, Movement Research Open Performance, New York and New York Live Arts in 2011. He also exhibited at the 2015 Triennial at the New Museum, New York City.