Ann Liv Young (New York)

A bare-breasted woman with long hair, silvery mermaid tail and reptilian contact lenses writhes lasciviously in a plastic basin: Ann Liv Young has a history of re-interpreting fairy tales. This time, she has turned her attention to “The Little Mermaid”.

Rasping Katy Perry’s “Fireworks” into the microphone, she butchers a raw fish and tries to peel herself out of her slippery skin – this New York performance artist is totally uninhibited and unselfconscious. Her show, which previewed in New York and now celebrates its première at the IN TRANSIT festival, thrives on interaction. It is the response of the spectator, whom she provokes with her corporal rather than linguistic dialogue, that determines her performance.