Voices of Venice: The Boardwalk / A collection curated by Venice Arts

Perry Hernandez, Minister of Limbo

Glasswalker Perry Hernandez captivates the crowd from one of the prime performance spots on the Venice Boardwalk. Performers arrive early in the morning to compete for the best space assignments, all of which are handed out by the city. Then they spend most of the day in friendly, sometimes cooperative, competition with other performers to ensure they get a shot at audience attention. Some performers find this assignment process is frustrating and have chosen to adapt their performances as mobile one-person shows. But not Perry, who calls himself the Minister of Limbo. He needs a spot to set up his blanket filled with glass shards, which he jumps on to the fascination of onlookers. At the end of a good day, Perry counts his tips and says, "I'm eating lobster tonight."

Sam