Elvis Booth-Claveria

Ko wai koe?
Hiiiiii
I’m Elvis Santiago Booth-Claveria. My first name was chosen by my mum as she’s a huge Elvis fan. She visited Graceland in Memphis Tennessee - well before I was born and afterwards was so overwhelmed by love/grief she sat on the curb outside and cried.

And Santiago is where my father was born in Chile.

I’m 23 years old and Pākehā on my mum’s side and Chilean on my dads

Where are you living/working right now?
Born and raised in Palmerston North in the mighty Manawatu but have called Te Whanganui-a-Tara my home for 5 and a half years.

I work at Recycle Boutique in the city I actually used to work at the one in Palmy when I was in high school lol. I enjoy it it’s fun to go through clothes and get discounts on clothes and I really enjoy my work mates company I’m pretty lucky in that sense.

What do you do and why do you do it?
My why I do it comes first in the equation. I grew up with a pretty big dance background I started ballet when I was 3 years old and continued multiple styles through til when I moved to Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I guess being in front of a full length mirror for about 25-30 hours a week whilst being trans and going through puberty did a number on me. So my practice started as a bit of a crutch or outlet whilst unravelling all of that but still holding my genuine interest and love for movement/choreographing/human bodies.

Performance is my game I guess, across different mediums - video, curating, writing and viewing. But also love the installation and atmospheric side of showing and editing.

What are you working on at the moment?
So I’m working on a multi channel video installation as a part of NO FUTURE - The Cost of Extraction here at Enjoy.

I’m also working towards another video piece as a part of a group show at The Engine Room at Massey University. It’s a show reflecting on a shared scholarship trip I was a part of last year we went on a PMSLA tour of Mexico.

What do you love about art?
I love the freedom of being able to ask questions or open up conversations where the answers or points aren’t neatly packaged up.

I love especially speaking to other artists about their work or practices and getting to enjoy pockets of thinking I couldn’t cook up from scratch myself or otherwise would be buried deep beneath small talk.

I love beautiful things, I love things that reach in and bring tears to my eyes before I even know what exactly I’m feeling.

What are you reading/listening to/watching at the moment?
I’m currently reading Scott Herring’s Another Country which I’m borrowing from DJCS and it’s looking at ideas of Queer Anti/Urbanism and what does it mean when there is this queer community flight to metropolitan areas, where the grass will always be greener or this hegemonic belief if you live a denser populated area that you’re of higher taste, opinions and politics.

Media wise I’m currently watching Too Much with Meg Stalter on Netflix and listening to the Rats in the Gutter podcast by Johanna Cosgrove and Same Te Kani which makes me literally cackle out loud in public.

Music wise atm I’m listening to Blood Orange, Yves Tumor, Oklou, Lady Gaga, Vegyn, Shygirl, FKA Twigs and LSDXOX.

Who is your art crush?
Mmmmmm I love Olafur Eliasson’s body of work over the years, the atmospheric potential explored and its ability to dress space as a bed for experiential impact.

I also have an art crush on Ana Mendieta, I got the chance to see some of her works/documentation in Mexico last year and that was really special.

As well as Pippolotti Rist she’s a crazy cool lady whose career I respect.

If you had one wish for the art world what would it be?
Ohhhhh this is hard cause I don’t want to subtweet anyone lol. But I guess more diverse conversations and collaboration between artists and people that don’t fall into the arts circles or community. Prioritising accessibility and community engagement. Less insulation and separation self imposed by artists and institutions :)