“A multilayered perspective on artist Fakir Musafar’s life to creatively excavate his role as a pioneer of extreme body modification.”—Hyperallergic
“Part alt-cultural timeline, part essay on communal support, the film is an open-minded portrait of an iconoclast that serves to illuminate entire communities, while also noting the audacity of Fakir's borrowings. It's almost too much to digest in one viewing...a visceral impact.”—Screen Slate
A BODY TO LIVE IN, the new feature-film by Angelo Madsen, is an uncompromising, no-holds-barred look at the agonies and ecstasies of the controversial artist Fakir Musafar (1930–2018), the infamous icon of BDSM performance art, body modification, and the ‘modern primitives’ cultural movement. Join filmmaker Angelo Madsen and performance artist Ron Athey in conversation with ONE Archives curatorial assistant Quetzal Arévalo in a night that explores the life and work of this legendary photographer, performer, and gender flex cultural icon. Selections from the film will be interspersed with conversation that uncovers a riveting story of queer, artistic, and cultural history through the exploration of Fakir’s art practice and philosophy. Featuring never-before-seen archival images and interviews in 16mm film from A BODY TO LIVE IN, join us for a night that foregrounds intergenerational dialog, questions cultural responsibility, and provokes larger ideas about the drive to transcend the limits of the body.
Artwork by Fakir Musafar and Angelo Madsen will be on view at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries in the exhibition NEED ME, or, (de)mystifying the myth of the modern primitive (February 25–June 27, 2026). Attendees are encouraged to view the exhibition and its materials before or after the program by visiting ONE Archives. Visit their website for more information on the exhibition and open hours.
A director's behind-the-scenes look and exhibition tour will be available exclusively to USC students the following day! For more information, click the link here.
This event is supported and made possible through USC Visions and Voices.