VIDEO: ALICE SMITH

Alice Smith: A Spell, Unraveled

In this quietly devastating 2021 performance from Gagosian Premieres, Alice Smith delivers "I Put a Spell on You" with aching clarity and force. What begins as a soft, reflective invocation slowly, methodically builds—until it doesn't. Smith lets the song unravel with a haunting emotional precision that feels both controlled and on the verge of collapse.

Her voice, centered and unbalanced all at once, carves out space for tenderness, grief, and longing. Each note is weighted. Each pause, intentional. The performance crescendos into a gut punch that feels inevitable—like something long held in finally given permission to surface.

As Smith moves through the gallery, her body becomes part of the composition. Her gestures punctuate the lyrics, sometimes forceful, sometimes faltering, but always crucial. These movements—set against the backdrop of the exhibition—mirror the emotional arc of the song: composed, unraveling, exposed.

I’m sharing this because it’s not just a performance—it’s a reckoning. A reminder that music, movement, and visual art can collide in a way that feels as personal as it is universal.