For more information on Adora, Teddy Behr, and the
Homo Sapiens Group visit www.homo-sapiens-live-art.org,
www.davidrohn.net, www.adoramiami.com
Adora can be found (among her many projects) spinning and
dropping tracks Thursdays during Latin Night @ Twist on South
Beach.
photos courtesy of David Stein www.dalestine.com, David Rohn
& Frank Polanco
CLICK HERE for more Armando Diaz, Jr.
Copyright 2010| Ambiente. Do not reproduce without prior authorization.
David: Favorite
material/medium to
work with (for your
art/installations)
(David) I still love
painting but I’ve
learned to work a little
bit with video, in a lot
of ways I think video has
the greatest
possibilities b/c it’s so
comprehensive. It’s
almost like it happened and so you can create just about any kind of fantasy if
you really know how to manipulate things…like we did with “War Games” we
had someone help us and he (Victor Muňiz) did all the technical work.
Danilo do you have a favorite hairspray?
(Danilo) Yes…cheap.
<laughs> any favorite make up tips?
(Danilo) Always, moisturize, moisturize and moisturize…
David & Danilo: Is there a dream performance you still want to do? Where, when &
why?
(David) Well we have projects that we haven’t developed yet…yes absolutely.
One thing that would surprise our readers to know about Danilo or David.
<long silence>
(AD) <looks over at mother> I got them!
(David) <laughs>
(Danilo) oh!....I don’t diet.
material/medium to
work with (for your
art/installations)
(David) I still love
painting but I’ve
learned to work a little
bit with video, in a lot
of ways I think video has
the greatest
possibilities b/c it’s so
comprehensive. It’s
almost like it happened and so you can create just about any kind of fantasy if
you really know how to manipulate things…like we did with “War Games” we
had someone help us and he (Victor Muňiz) did all the technical work.
Danilo do you have a favorite hairspray?
(Danilo) Yes…cheap.
<laughs> any favorite make up tips?
(Danilo) Always, moisturize, moisturize and moisturize…
David & Danilo: Is there a dream performance you still want to do? Where, when &
why?
(David) Well we have projects that we haven’t developed yet…yes absolutely.
One thing that would surprise our readers to know about Danilo or David.
<long silence>
(AD) <looks over at mother> I got them!
(David) <laughs>
(Danilo) oh!....I don’t diet.
What about David & Danilo… How did you meet & when?
(Danilo) We met in Paris. I had a dinner party in my apartment (in the 16th
Sixteenth arrondissement) and he came with a friend of mine and we met
and became friends…and then I came to Miami…
(David) Say about what? 2 years later…2-3 years later.
(Danilo)…and I found him in a newspaper, it was an article about this artist
from Paris…and it was David. So walking down Washington Avenue I saw
him.
(David) Danilo wasn’t hard to find I knew Danilo was there because he was
Adora.
(Danilo) That was 1992.
(David) I had a Franco-Cuban friend who was friends with a lot of the
Cuban people in Paris and he knew Danilo, I was actually on my way to
Italy, he tells me c’mon we’re going over to my friend’s house for dinner.
So we went over then I met him at the dinner party…then I continued on
to Italy and returned to Paris again later that year as Danilo was leaving
Paris. After being in Paris a few years then I decided to move to Miami…
then I found him..he found me and we got together.
What makes your relationship work?
(Danilo) It’s a full time job <everyone laughs>…you have to be on top
of it and you have to be sincere. Respect…it’s very important (2)
people respect each other totally and trust. Communication and
love.
(David)…yeah I think that…
(Danilo) <with a stern look>…what?
<everyone laughs>
(David) a sense of humor is important!
How has Miami changed since Adora & Teddy met?
(Danilo)….oh my God…big time. The Miami Beach we
left…
(David) ….in 1999
(Danilo) We met in Paris. I had a dinner party in my apartment (in the 16th
Sixteenth arrondissement) and he came with a friend of mine and we met
and became friends…and then I came to Miami…
(David) Say about what? 2 years later…2-3 years later.
(Danilo)…and I found him in a newspaper, it was an article about this artist
from Paris…and it was David. So walking down Washington Avenue I saw
him.
(David) Danilo wasn’t hard to find I knew Danilo was there because he was
Adora.
(Danilo) That was 1992.
(David) I had a Franco-Cuban friend who was friends with a lot of the
Cuban people in Paris and he knew Danilo, I was actually on my way to
Italy, he tells me c’mon we’re going over to my friend’s house for dinner.
So we went over then I met him at the dinner party…then I continued on
to Italy and returned to Paris again later that year as Danilo was leaving
Paris. After being in Paris a few years then I decided to move to Miami…
then I found him..he found me and we got together.
What makes your relationship work?
(Danilo) It’s a full time job <everyone laughs>…you have to be on top
of it and you have to be sincere. Respect…it’s very important (2)
people respect each other totally and trust. Communication and
love.
(David)…yeah I think that…
(Danilo) <with a stern look>…what?
<everyone laughs>
(David) a sense of humor is important!
How has Miami changed since Adora & Teddy met?
(Danilo)….oh my God…big time. The Miami Beach we
left…
(David) ….in 1999
What do you think Adora & Teddy hope to be doing in 20 years?
(Danilo)…oh my God…millionaires.
We concluded our lovely afternoon visit with David and my mother sharing
experiences regarding Israel, and Danilo and Nala playing fetch out in the front
yard before Danilo got back to his lights.
Since the formation of Homo-Sapiens (Art For Evolution) in 2007, the group has
presented a film at the GLBT Film Festival in Tel Aviv, photographs in a show at
the Tacheles Kunsthaus, Berlin, a performance in Miami called 'Mr. and Mrs.
Candidate' performed last Fall at Artformz Gallery and at the Miami Beach
Cinematheque, and another short film (also being shown at the Miami
Independent Thinkers show),called 'Tick-Tock', which first screened at MOCA
Miami at Optic Nerve in 2008. Last winter they performed a longer piece about
love in a US detention Center called 'Silencio' at the Wolfsonian on Miami
Beach. That piece was first performed in workshop at Miami Beach
Cinematheque in '07 and included Jasmine Kastel, Juicy Pussy, Juan Carlos and
Geraldine and Fernande-Q of Queen Cabaret in its cast.
Check out their latest innovation “War Games”.
They write, “Continuing on a theme about cycles of fear and
communality as exemplified by the Muslim and Judeo-Christian
rift that demands so much attention now, the piece uses a series
of postures and movements to tell a story about repressed love as
a common human denominator.”
(Danilo)…oh my God…millionaires.
We concluded our lovely afternoon visit with David and my mother sharing
experiences regarding Israel, and Danilo and Nala playing fetch out in the front
yard before Danilo got back to his lights.
Since the formation of Homo-Sapiens (Art For Evolution) in 2007, the group has
presented a film at the GLBT Film Festival in Tel Aviv, photographs in a show at
the Tacheles Kunsthaus, Berlin, a performance in Miami called 'Mr. and Mrs.
Candidate' performed last Fall at Artformz Gallery and at the Miami Beach
Cinematheque, and another short film (also being shown at the Miami
Independent Thinkers show),called 'Tick-Tock', which first screened at MOCA
Miami at Optic Nerve in 2008. Last winter they performed a longer piece about
love in a US detention Center called 'Silencio' at the Wolfsonian on Miami
Beach. That piece was first performed in workshop at Miami Beach
Cinematheque in '07 and included Jasmine Kastel, Juicy Pussy, Juan Carlos and
Geraldine and Fernande-Q of Queen Cabaret in its cast.
Check out their latest innovation “War Games”.
They write, “Continuing on a theme about cycles of fear and
communality as exemplified by the Muslim and Judeo-Christian
rift that demands so much attention now, the piece uses a series
of postures and movements to tell a story about repressed love as
a common human denominator.”
What is your home life –non-performance- life, like?
(Danilo) It’s as regular as everybody else…get up and deal with what’s
ahead…it could be a bunch of bills, the house…
You said bills right? Not pills?
(Danilo) Bills, bills <laughs> I’m not there yet!
(Danilo) Well not so regular because of our jobs…I don’t have a 9-5 job, I wake
up when I wake up so I can do what I have to do.
What do you do as Danilo & David that you enjoy most? (Home remodeling, gym,
etc…)
(David) We cook and invite people over…
(Danilo) We love to do that.
(David) We watch movies, do a little traveling.
I noticed you doing a little something with the lights is that a hobby?
(Danilo) Yes…David always has me outside with projects.
(David) <laughs> We used to do more.
(Danilo)…there’s a list, there’s always a list.
(David) I’ll wash the clothes a lot of the times, but I don’t fold it.
Tell me about Teddy Behr. Did he exist before he met Adora?
(David) No. In fact he came into existence really in response to Adora. I hadn’t
done any kind of performing but I’ve been an artist for a long time and there was
a real fun drag scene going on and I thought I’d invent a male character. One
of the reason s I did that was because first of all, there were so many great
female characters and in my artwork as a counterpoint to feminism…we had not
redefined masculinity, and we still had a lot of issues around men who weren’t
masculine enough…I thought that was important for
the gay community and also for everybody.
I specifically designed him to be “fey”.
(Danilo) It’s as regular as everybody else…get up and deal with what’s
ahead…it could be a bunch of bills, the house…
You said bills right? Not pills?
(Danilo) Bills, bills <laughs> I’m not there yet!
(Danilo) Well not so regular because of our jobs…I don’t have a 9-5 job, I wake
up when I wake up so I can do what I have to do.
What do you do as Danilo & David that you enjoy most? (Home remodeling, gym,
etc…)
(David) We cook and invite people over…
(Danilo) We love to do that.
(David) We watch movies, do a little traveling.
I noticed you doing a little something with the lights is that a hobby?
(Danilo) Yes…David always has me outside with projects.
(David) <laughs> We used to do more.
(Danilo)…there’s a list, there’s always a list.
(David) I’ll wash the clothes a lot of the times, but I don’t fold it.
Tell me about Teddy Behr. Did he exist before he met Adora?
(David) No. In fact he came into existence really in response to Adora. I hadn’t
done any kind of performing but I’ve been an artist for a long time and there was
a real fun drag scene going on and I thought I’d invent a male character. One
of the reason s I did that was because first of all, there were so many great
female characters and in my artwork as a counterpoint to feminism…we had not
redefined masculinity, and we still had a lot of issues around men who weren’t
masculine enough…I thought that was important for
the gay community and also for everybody.
I specifically designed him to be “fey”.
| . |
www.ambiente.us JANUARY | ENERO 2010
At Home With Homo-Sapiens | Interview with
Danilo de la Torre “Adora” and David Rohn “Teddy Behr”
by Armando Diaz Jr.
Performance art is defined as “a form of art in which the artist
creates a live performance, often using a variety of media”.
Teddy Behr and Adora write about their desire, “…to create new forms of live
art that blend aspects of art-world-style performance, club/nightlife
performance, and potentially including (but not limited to) video, dance,
vocals, music, photography, and installation, the group hopes to blend
audiences as well. As the name suggests, the group has as a primary goal to
bring to life the vast realm of shared human experience reminding us all that we
are overwhelmingly more alike than different; that our communality of spirit
unites us all far more that superficial differences separate us. Sources of
inspiration include Pina Bausch, Charlie Chaplin, John Cage, Marina Abramovic,
and Jean Genet”.
During a sunny Miami Monday afternoon, I met with the intriguing couple at their
Morningside home. Danilo was busy with holiday light set ups poolside and
David was recovering from a thrown back
as I arrived (with my mother in tow). Nala,
their friendly golden retriever greeted us
and all we all sat to have a nice chat amidst
file sharing Mac Notebooks. Hey guys how
are you doing today?
At Home With Homo-Sapiens | Interview with
Danilo de la Torre “Adora” and David Rohn “Teddy Behr”
by Armando Diaz Jr.
Performance art is defined as “a form of art in which the artist
creates a live performance, often using a variety of media”.
Teddy Behr and Adora write about their desire, “…to create new forms of live
art that blend aspects of art-world-style performance, club/nightlife
performance, and potentially including (but not limited to) video, dance,
vocals, music, photography, and installation, the group hopes to blend
audiences as well. As the name suggests, the group has as a primary goal to
bring to life the vast realm of shared human experience reminding us all that we
are overwhelmingly more alike than different; that our communality of spirit
unites us all far more that superficial differences separate us. Sources of
inspiration include Pina Bausch, Charlie Chaplin, John Cage, Marina Abramovic,
and Jean Genet”.
During a sunny Miami Monday afternoon, I met with the intriguing couple at their
Morningside home. Danilo was busy with holiday light set ups poolside and
David was recovering from a thrown back
as I arrived (with my mother in tow). Nala,
their friendly golden retriever greeted us
and all we all sat to have a nice chat amidst
file sharing Mac Notebooks. Hey guys how
are you doing today?
| . |
| . |
Danilo & David… you
have had a lot of
success &
accomplishments in
your individual lives.
Is there ever creative
competition?
(Danilo) No.
(David) I don’t think
so, I think we kind of
see each other as
apples, we both bring
something kind of
different. Sometimes
we don’t always
agree on a
solution…like if it’s
something to do
about costumes or
picking out a photo
here. If I feel strongly
about something I
push it, if he feels
strongly about
something…he
pushes it.
have had a lot of
success &
accomplishments in
your individual lives.
Is there ever creative
competition?
(Danilo) No.
(David) I don’t think
so, I think we kind of
see each other as
apples, we both bring
something kind of
different. Sometimes
we don’t always
agree on a
solution…like if it’s
something to do
about costumes or
picking out a photo
here. If I feel strongly
about something I
push it, if he feels
strongly about
something…he
pushes it.
(Danilo) was already very different…
(David) Cause we bought a house.
(Danilo) …you could bike anywhere and it was very Bohemian and fun, it was a
very simple life and suddenly it changes the real estate starts getting very expensive,
there’s new building everywhere and the traffic became impossible…you couldn’t bike
anywhere without being afraid of possibly getting hit by a car.
(David) It basically became one big mall.
How did Homo-Sapiens develop? What is the goal of this performance group?
(David) It’s based on wanting to create new forms of live art as in performance art. To
blend aspects of art world like performance and club and nightlife type performance
and potentially but not limited to video, dance, vocals, music, photography… to bring to
life the best of shared human experience, reminding us all that we are all overwhelmingly
alike than different.
Where do you get your inspiration for the costumes & themes you develop?
(Danilo) Oh everywhere…from early 60’s and 70’s TV shows or just from my brain,
whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes I find things to just put together and make a
look…whatever mood I may be in at the time or the occasion.
Does Adora have a prized number one favorite outfit?
(Danilo) I think she likes when it gets “Jetsons”…when it gets very “Jetsons” she likes that.
(David) Cause we bought a house.
(Danilo) …you could bike anywhere and it was very Bohemian and fun, it was a
very simple life and suddenly it changes the real estate starts getting very expensive,
there’s new building everywhere and the traffic became impossible…you couldn’t bike
anywhere without being afraid of possibly getting hit by a car.
(David) It basically became one big mall.
How did Homo-Sapiens develop? What is the goal of this performance group?
(David) It’s based on wanting to create new forms of live art as in performance art. To
blend aspects of art world like performance and club and nightlife type performance
and potentially but not limited to video, dance, vocals, music, photography… to bring to
life the best of shared human experience, reminding us all that we are all overwhelmingly
alike than different.
Where do you get your inspiration for the costumes & themes you develop?
(Danilo) Oh everywhere…from early 60’s and 70’s TV shows or just from my brain,
whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes I find things to just put together and make a
look…whatever mood I may be in at the time or the occasion.
Does Adora have a prized number one favorite outfit?
(Danilo) I think she likes when it gets “Jetsons”…when it gets very “Jetsons” she likes that.
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