Remember foam parties, that cultural phenomenon inexplicably popular in the 1990s that had people dancing in a room of foamy bubbles? Well, foam parties are back, and this time they’re Art.
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On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until Feb. 8, the Minnesota Street Project Foundation and the re.riddle gallery in San Francisco are holding performances of artist Michail Michailov’s “Self-Brainwashing.” The first time this piece was staged was at the Bulgarian Pavilion in the 2022 Venice Biennale – Michailov was born in Bulgaria – and the concept in 2025 is basically the same: Stick people in a confined space, fill it until brimming with foam and see what hilarity ensues.
Well, of course it’s deeper than that. These aren’t revelry-style foam parties that the club scene once embraced, but a more meditative experience driven by experimental music and the artist himself walking around the perimeter, directing foam onto people in increasing heights with what looks like a leaf blower. The performance, you see, is a metaphor in 2025 for the horrible amounts of misinformation that’s building around us.
“’Self-Brainwashing’ emerges at a crucial moment in our cultural dialogue about reality and perception,” write the show’s organizers. “In an era where multiple realities–augmented, virtual, and artificial–increasingly intersect with and sometimes overshadow our physical world, Michailov’s work purposefully employs obscurity as a powerful artistic tool.”
There are two ways to enjoy this performance: as observers, or as participants who swim in the foam while wearing white protective suits. Right now all of the participant tickets are sold out, however, so plan on being an observer. That’s not a bad thing, as you’ll be able to see what’s happening, and not blindly flailing — in a fun way — in foam.
Michail Michailov’s “Self-Brainwashing” is an art performance that covers people in mounds of foam, co-presented in 2025 by Minnesota Street Project Foundation and re.riddle. (Nordlys Photography)
Details: Doors open 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays with performances at 6:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Saturdays with performances at 3:30 p.m., at 1201 Minnesota St., San Francisco; $10 tickets available online, minnesotastreetproject.org
