 Dancing with Men, 2003 By devising Marcus Fisher as her male alter ego, the London-based artist Oreet Ashery sets off a visual and performative examination of cultural, religious and sexual identity. In her interventions as an orthodox Jew in picture-perfect attire, she confronts her secular environment with the explicitly "other", thereby probing the limits of multicultural and multi-religious societies. By confronting orthodox Jewish tradition with its own taboos, such as homosexuality, transvestism and sexuality, Ashery simultaneously describes her own "queer" return to this very tradition (in Hebrew "Mar-Cus" means "Mr. Cunt"). Accordingly, the artist describes the overwhelming feeling of belonging, history and home she experienced when dancing together with hundreds of orthodox Jewish men at the religious celebrations of "Lag Baomer".  Oh Jerusalem, 2005 In her performances, interventions and photographs as well as in her video and textual works, Oreet Ashery examines questions of cultural, political, religious, and sexual identity. The video Oh Jerusalem shows the artist alternating between the stereotypical dress of an Arab male and an orthodox Jew. In slapstick fashion, both appear to be trapped in a loop. They sit down on a chair, spy through a large paper tube and finally, in an excessive display of joy, they discover Jerusalem. Through a constant acceleration of the repeated actions directed towards the shared site of their longing, both figures finally merge into one. Making reference to classic silent movies, Oreet Ashery here paints a tragicomical picture of the continuing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.  Self Portrait as Marcus Fisher 1–5 , 2000 By devising Marcus Fisher as her male alter ego, the London-based artist Oreet Ashery sets off a visual and performative examination of cultural, religious and sexual identity. In her interventions as an orthodox Jew in picture-perfect attire in London, Berlin and Tel Aviv, she confronts her secular environment with the explicitly "other", thereby probing the limits of multicultural and multi-religious societies. By confronting orthodox Jewish tradition with its own taboos, such as homosexuality, transvestism and sexuality, Ashery simultaneously describes her own "queer" return to this very tradition. In Hebrew "Mar-Cus" means "Mr. Cunt". Oreet Ashery, * 1966 in Jerusalem (IL), lives and works in London (GB)  Oreet Ashery, Dancing with Men, 2003video (colour, sound) 3 min., loop courtesy Oreet Ashery Oreet Ashery, Oh Jerusalem, 2005 video (b/w, no sound) 4 min., loop courtesy Oreet Ashery Oreet Ashery, Self Portrait as Marcus Fisher 1–5, 2000 5 photographs (inkjet print, original: polaroid) each 101,5 x 80 cm photo: Manuel Vason courtesy Oreet Ashery
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