In the Near Future (2005–2008) In the Near Future was created through four iterations staged in London, New York, Vienna, and Warsaw, with additional performances in Brussels and Paris. In each iteration, Hayes stood on the street each day for a number of days with a different protest sign. The slogans were mostly culled from past protests, although a few speak to the possibility of a future demonstration.
New York, 2005: Commissioned by
Art in General, curated by Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy.
Vienna, 2006: Presented as part of
Wieder und Wider: Performance Appropriated,
MUMOK, curated by Barbara Clausen and Achim Hochdorfer.
Warsaw, 2008:
Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, curated by Monika Szczukowska.
London, 2008: Presented as part of
Perplexed in Public, curated by Elena Crippa and Silvia Sgualdini.
Everything Else Has Failed! Don’t You Think It’s Time for Love? (2007) Presented by
Art in General for their 25th anniversary exhibition, in downtown Manhattan,
Everything Else Has Failed! Don’t You Think It’s Time for Love? Hayes performed a series of works in front of the UBS Building. Dressed up as a queer office temp, she recited a love letter to an through a microphone and speaker on the street, expressing that "I didn't want the love to be read as heteronormative. Yet I want to be clear that queerness is not some kind of idealized space of politics." The speeches were also recorded and played in the lobby of the UBS building alongside a series of silk-screened works inspired by political posters from the 1960s and 70s. Subtitled,
I Am Your Worst Fear for the
Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO and
I Am Your Best Fantasy, the
Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN, the participants recited each ten to twenty minutes long text three times over the course of two hours. Using the charged atmosphere of the conventions as a backdrop for a more personal reflection on love and politics, the piece drew upon the history of the gay liberation movements of the 1970s.
In My Little Corner of the World, Anyone Would Love You (2016) In
In My Little Corner of the World, Anyone Would Love You, Hayes investigates queer and feminist archives in the US and the UK documenting gay liberation, women's liberation, as well as the pre-lesbian liberation movements:
Daughters of Bilitis (US) and
Minorities Research Group (UK). Hayes explores the specific limits of gender, the anti-racist work done by lesbian, queer, and trans people of color to combat racism in white lesbian feminist groups and the historic and contemporary ways in which feminist, lesbian, and queer political collectivities have expanded and constrained gender expression. The work was exhibited at
The Common Guild in Glasgow and
Studio Voltaire in London in 2016.
If They Should Ask (2017) If They Should Ask was a temporary monument located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square addressing the lack of monuments dedicated to the women who have contributed to the social, cultural, political and economic life of Philadelphia. Of the hundreds of sculptures in the city that honor historic figures, only two are dedicated to women.
If They Should Ask is a collection of concrete pedestals of existing monuments in the city cast at half-scale and engraved with the names of Philadelphia-area women who have contributed to the city's civic and public life from the mid-1600s to the present day. The piece was created as a part of Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-wide public art and history initiative.
Ricerche: Two (2020) Through the film,
Ricerche: two, Sharon Hayes encapsulates the politics of gender, sex, and sexuality in the United States by interviewing two women's tackle-football teams. Hayes’ “Ricerche” film series is based on the 1964 Italian film “Comizi d’amore,” by director
Pier Paolo Pasolini. Drawing inspiration from Pasolini’s filmmaking style of
cinéma verité, Hayes includes unscripted dialogue and non-professional actors. The simple act of playing on the team breaks gendered limitations enforced on women.
Ricerche: Four (2024) In her latest work as part of her ongoing multipart series
Ricerche, Sharon Hayes interviews a group of gay, lesbian, queer, and trans elders.
Ricerche: four explores the group's personal lives and political views, highlighting the power and persistence of chosen community and what it means to gather amidst the ongoing pandemic and the impact of social media. == Exhibitions ==