Culture Crash
The TM Sisters Whirl, Crash and Go! at Locust Projects
By Vanessa Garcia

It was two years ago that Austrian art dealer and collector Ernst Hilger joined forces with Miami’s Locust Projects to create the Hilger Artist Project Award. The idea was that Hilger would provide a $2,000 cash prize for emerging artists competing for a chance to create a transformative show within the Locust Projects gallery space. This year’s winners were a pair of home-schooled, performance artist sisters that skate hard, synchronize swim and, well, rock out.

In 2001, Monica and Tasha Lopez De Victoria, 28 and 26 respectively, dubbed themselves the TM Sisters, and have been steadily charging their way up the art world ladder ever since.

They’ve been included in international exhibits such as the Second Moscow Biennial of Contemporary Art, and Performa 07, and flaunt CVs of exhibitions that span the States from Seattle to Massachusetts.

“We’re those crazy un-identical non-twins,” says Monica, with typical TM wit. Their work usually involves a mélange of video, social experiment, collage, digital media, and site-specific performance art. Their current project promises a similar mix.

“It’s going to have everything,” says Chana Budgazad Sheldon, the new executive director of Locust Projects. “Fabrics, people, projections, installations. Everything.”

Although the TM sisters think everyone should see at least one performance of their new show called “Whirl Crash Go!” to get the full scope of the project, there will also be related site-specific animations and installations on view during Locust’s regular hours. In addition, the sisters have opened up their process of transforming the space to the general public: inviting us in to watch the progression of the project.

The duo launched the project July 15. A week later, much of the work still appeared conceptual: three pieces of shiny fabric hung from the ceiling, and The TM sisters sat below the yards of fuchsia, turquoise, and purple, although it wasn’t quite clear what they planned to do with these.

“We don’t want to say too much, like trailers where they tell you the whole movie,” Tasha said, as Monica characteristically finished her sentence: “Because people should really come to the performance and see for themselves!”

“For a long time we’ve wanted to do something with our individual sports,” Tasha said. “Nobody in the art world even knows that long form sports are such a big part of our lives.”

Tasha is a speed skater. As a child she was a member of The Hurricanes, a speed skating team based out of Hot Wheels, the former West Kendall skating rink. Monica is a synchronized swimmer, who still swims professionally with the Dolphinettes of Miami.

In Whirl Crash Go! the two battle each other in swimwear, on skates, set against brilliantly colored scenery — a symbolic clash of skating and synchronized swimming — while the multiple cultures of the project’s crew provide yet another clash.

“Everyone involved in the project is mixed up,” Monica said. “We’re half Puerto Rican and half Scandinavian; [composer] Otto von Schirach, who’s doing the sound design, is German-Cuban. And Karelle Levy of Krelwear, who’s doing our costumes, is a Miami-Swede.”

At Locust Projects on Tuesday, July 28 there was evidence that the Hurricane and the Dolphinette had been hard at work.

“They just called me right now,” said Budgazad Sheldon. “Apparently, at 10 a.m. when I came in, they’d just left.”

Evidence of burning the midnight oil is everywhere: There are rolls and rolls of all kinds of fabric near the door — a rainbow of kitschy prints and basic stripes. Further back into the space: a pair of speed skates in canary yellow and cobalt blue. From the ceiling hangs a swing made of cardboard, rope, and sky-patterned fabric which glimmers with silver stars against a blue-black backdrop. Behind the swing: a fog machine and a spotlight, not yet placed, but at least unpacked. Cans of enamel and pieces of cotton candy pink vinyl, all purpose spray paint and Home Depot buckets filled with wet rags are scattered across the concrete floor.

Sneaking in a little farther reveals a large, plastic pool, empty, but draped with fabric: black and white jersey and ochre raw silk along with pink and orange floral lycra.

Tape outlines on the floor form what seems to be the beginning of a blue runway. Another pair of skates completes the artistic crime scene: Will they fill that pool with water? The TM Sisters won’t yet say.

A day later there is more evidence. Gold-glittered vinyl twists around the poles. Spray painted in neon orange in a lightening-shaped font on the window: “TM Sisters.” There are also more pink and fuchsia drapes hanging from the ceiling. Little by little, the white, sterile walls and concrete floor begin to look like a circus — a fully-brimming stage that will come alive with strobe lights and loud music. Still there are only hints of the battle to come.

And battle, the “un-identical, non-twin sisters” will.

“Sometimes I’d prefer we weren’t related, but sometimes the performances are linked with us trying to work with each other, trying to work through everything. So it’s not just going through the motions but actually going through the experience of the struggle too,” (says Tasha) “which is why performance is essential for so many of our pieces,” (finishes Monica).

Although their actual performances are choreographed, they are never entirely rehearsed, making the performance feel true, fresh and more interesting to create and witness, the duo explained.

The two aren’t always on the same page, however. The process can become layered with various difficulties along with the tension of struggling through them. It’s not hard to imagine sibling arguments, but it’s also easy to see that, in the end, what will come of all of it is a self-reflexive act of creation.

“When we’re not [in sync], it really makes it harder — we have to really, really work it out,” Monica said. “But when we are on the same wavelength, we don’t even have to speak.”

The TM Sisters will perform Whirl Crash Go! At Locust Projects, 155 N.E. 38th St., Suite 100, in Miami until Oct. 17. Their debut performance is Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. with a repeat performance on Oct.10, at 8 p.m. Call 305-576-8570, or visit locustprojects.org for more information.

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