“Conceived as an alter ego, Roberta Breitmore was first created in the 1970s as a fictional character with her own driver’s licence, credit card and psychiatrist, developing a life parallel to that of the artist. Over time, the project expanded beyond performance into a broader investigation of identity, authorship and representation.The project culminated in a ritualistic exorcism, yet Roberta continued to evolve, reappearing throughout the 1980s and beyond in the form of robotic and digital avatars, including CyberRoberta in the 1990s.
Now, over five decades since she first appeared, Roberta returns, getting ready, once again, for an audience. Constructing Roberta is a live performance that finds the character navigating later life, at a moment when ideas of truth and identity have been further complicated by the rituals and trends of online culture. The audience is invited to consider what it means to construct — and to perform — an authentic self in a world of doubles, filters and constant self-presentation. The artist asks ‘Maybe we are all Roberta?'”
Date: Sun 18 Oct 2026
Time: 3.30–7.30pm
Space: Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, E1W 3SF