RoseLee Goldberg is an art historian, curator, and author of Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present. In 2004, she founded PERFORMA, a non-profit arts organization that hosts a biennial series of performance art pieces in New York City. PERFORMA 09 (running through Nov. 22) marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of F.T. Marinetti’s “Futurist Manifesto,” credited as launching the Futurist movement.

TMN: What’s the relation between Futurism and performance art?

RoseLee Goldberg: The Futurists insisted that artists engage directly with the world around them. Their manifestos examined every aspect of artistic, social, and cultural life—painting, sculpture, film, theater, noise, dance, food, fashion, poetry, graphic design, and architecture—and they believed in confronting audiences directly with their exciting ideas—in the streets, on the airwaves, in theaters, in restaurants.

TMN: How involved are you in the curating of PERFORMA 09?

RG: Totally involved.

TMN: What’s your favorite object in your office?

RG: I have this image of a tea towel design that I love taped on the wall above my desk.

TMN: What has been your favorite part of this year’s biennial so far?

RG: The fun of the chase and the amazing variety of ideas and sensibilities that emerge at the end of each evening. I am also very excited about the PERFORMA Hub! It is my dream come true. It is our headquarters—a flexible space that adapts to very different kinds of needs—performance space, seminars, video screening, gallery, workshop, event place, hangout. I begin every day there and drop in and out all day.

TMN: With 110 events in three weeks, how do you choose which to attend?

RG: I try very hard to get to everything. I have one of my students drive me from place to place, which makes it possible. He also gets an ongoing seminar on the history of performance along the way.