Mamdani Pulls a Marina Abramovic at a Queens Museum

"Ahead of his inauguration as mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani staged a 12-hour appearance at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)in Queenson Sunday, December 14, to hear directly from his constituents in one-on-one conversations. Taking a leaf from Marina Abramović's " The Artist is Present " (2010) performance at the Museum of Modern Art, Mamdani announced his meet-and-greet marathon, "The Mayor is Listening," through an Instagram video directing people to reserve three-minute slots with him through a link."

""Yesterday, approximately 140 individuals got to speak with the mayor-elect in one-on-ones," a MoMI spokesperson told Hyperallergic in an email. "Itincluded folks who had registered online following the video, and individuals who were visiting the Museum that day." You can see from the street, but can't hear. Dave Basnet told me he talked about closing "all the loopholes for collusion between the NYPD and ICE" and hopes Mamdani thinks "about reparations and about justice for all the NY families that have been torn apart by the Trump admin." pic.twitter.com/RU2Gocv75c- Jeff Coltin (@JCColtin) December 14, 2025"

"Mamdani's conversations with New Yorkers were closed to the press to encourage free dialogue, though they could be viewed through a window from the museum's exterior. Incoming First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, incoming Chief of Staff Elle Bisgaard-Church, and Transition Committee Co-chair Lina Khan were also present and spokewith city residents and museum visitors. reported that visitors were encouraged to write and display postcards for Mamdani and his team, and"

Zohran Mamdani staged a 12-hour public listening session at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens on December 14, offering three-minute one-on-one meetings with constituents. The event drew inspiration from Marina Abramović's performance piece and was organized via an Instagram sign-up for slots. Approximately 140 people spoke with Mamdani, including both registrants and walk-in museum visitors. Conversations were closed to the press but could be observed from outside through a window. Incoming senior staff and transition committee leadership participated, and visitors were encouraged to write and display postcards for the mayor-elect and his team.

Read at Hyperallergic