In 2006, a recording of Ursula Martinez’s infamous magic/striptease act Hanky Panky was posted on the Internet, without her permission. The clip very quickly went viral and Ursula was inundated with emails from fans and admirers all over the world. This was the inspirational catalyst for her show. As the title suggests, My Stories, Your Emails is in two sections. In the first section, Martinez recounts real stories and experiences from her life. In the second section, she relays some of the unsolicited emails sent to her by strangers. Juxtaposing Martinez’s true stories, with the fantasies expressed by her admirers, My Stories, Your Emails highlights the disparity between the real person and the iconised public figure. It also questions what happens to an artist’s work when it is placed in the wrong context, and becomes available to anyone who has access to the Internet. Throughout the show Martinez assumes the voices and personalities of the diverse characters she introduces; from family members very close to her, to men she has never met offering their hand in marriage. From this wider perspective the show is not about Ursula at all, but about ordinary people, human interaction, miscommunication, personal identity and the Internet. The show contains non-sexual nudity, graphic sexual images and strong language.

BY AND WITH Ursula Martinez

Produced by Barbican BITE 10 and IQUN. Funded by the Arts Council England. media partner: Jungle World, Missy Magazine, taz.die tageszeitung, Zitty Berlin

Photo © Hugo Glendinning