A 2019 performance of “State of” at the Biennial of Contemporary Arts at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon featured Ryan Kelly, Forty Smooth and Quenton Stuckey. (photo by Bruno Simão)

The Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art presents the U.S. premiere of “State of” (2019) at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Previously performed in Portugal and France, an artist and choreography duo known as Gerard & Kelly will use the MOCA’s warehouse space to open up questions around national symbols and entangled identities through pole dancing.

The work is a collaboration with Forty Smooth, an innovator of pole dancing in the New York City subways, and dancer and vocalist Quenton Stuckey. Costume design for the performance is created by Rio Uribe of Gypsy Sport, the non-binary clothing brand noted by their deconstructed designs made locally from sustainable materials.

Working together since 2003, Gerard & Kelly create installations and performances encompassing influences in minimalist dance, institutional critique and queer theory. The performances are free and open to the public.

The Geffen Contemporary is located at 152 N. Central Ave. For information, call (213)625-4390, or visit moca.org.