Angela Su
The Magnificent Levitation Act of Lauren O

Angela Su’s documentary-style video The Magnificent Levitation Act of Lauren O (2022) tells the story of her fictional alter-ego Lauren O, a mysterious circus performer drawn to levitation practices. It links the perils of flight to exploration of the mind’s recesses.

Largely composed of found footage, it follows O from being an anarchist vaudeville performer to her involvement with a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters who attempted to levitate the Pentagon in 1967. At the end, Su appears in a performance as O, suspended from ropes in an anechoic chamber.

The Magnificent Levitation Act of Lauren O was the centrepiece of Su’s show Arise, at the Hong Kong pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022.