Maya Ben David | Winged Tombs: the Predatory Origins of Prehistoric Airplanes

September 20–November 1 2025

Performance and opening reception: Friday September 19 at 7 pm

“We did not build the first airplanes. We survived them.”
—Dr. Maya Ben David, On the Fossilization of Flight

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr. Maya Ben David to present on the hotly debated topic of prehistoric airplanes. She will be discussing the hunting patterns of the Aeroterra and the collective memory that haunts humankind. According to Ben David, Prehistoric airplanes were apex predators. We know this because archaeological evidence suggests that humans were not just their observers, but their prey. It may be hardwired into the brain to have reverence and fear of dark, unknown caves. Her theory offers an explanation as to why.

In her practice crossing between internet video, live performance, and the manufacturing of costumes and props, Maya Ben David seriously takes on absurd characters. Humorously navigating emerging cultural forms, Ben David plays with the artifice of performance in the ambiguously amateur space of YouTube. In a landscape of social media and fandom where signifiers of labour-intensive production and confrontationally awkward DIY staging are mixed to sell parasocial relationships and relatability, Maya turns them inside out to challenge the format itself.

From the artist:

“I make characters. Sometimes they are autobiographical, and sometimes they are lies. They’re usually fixated on the quiet depravity in women’s minds, but don’t put me in a box. I’m a Jewish-Iranian performance artist…wait, I said no more boxes. I may want to create a universe about a fictional group of people obsessed with Ferris wheels. Then perform as a maid covered in mold. I’m usually trying to find a new way to humiliate myself, forever a clown. Monster girls, voreaphilia, anthropomorphic creatures, absurd pregnancy, witchery, and world-building are sprinkled in most of my video art and live performances.”

The anthropomorphic airplane is a recurring character in Maya Ben David’s oeuvre, and in the past year she took the opportunity to develop new versions of the character in residency at The Banff Centre. Latitude 53 has a long history of celebrating performance art and artists who move in and out of the gallery. As part of our mission to be a site for risk-taking, experimentation, and curiosity, we are pleased to present this work that is both challenging and entertaining.

Latitude 53 invites members and guests to join the artist on Friday September 19th for a live interpretation of this work at 7pm. Winged Tombs: The Predatory Origins of Prehistoric Airplanes is on view at Latitude 53 from September 20–November 1, 2025.

Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Friday, 12–5. Admission is free.