A body in motion. A record on repeat. No exit from becoming. On the eve of her new album’s release, Lexa Gates transformed endurance into living art with The Wheel. It was a 10-hour performance installation held at Jeffrey Deitch, as I Am prepared to arrive at midnight. Walking for ten continuously hours inside a massive treadmill-style wheel, Gates turns effort into metaphor that collapses listening, labor, and identity into one uninterrupted act. The performance is livestreamed throughout the day on Twitch, allowing audiences to witness the album before it officially arrives, while the sound experience is delivered through a high-fidelity installation supported by Chelsea Luxury Audio. Embracing the contradictions and possibilities of her identity, she shared:
I am everything they said I couldn’t be. I am all of those things. I am what I am.
The album’s title also nods to her initials, Ivanna Alexandra Martinez, grounding the project in autobiography while embracing contradiction. Sonically, Gates threads raw R&B intimacy with sharp-edged rap candor, channeling a lineage that echoes Fiona Apple’s intensity and Amy Winehouse’s unfiltered honesty without imitation. “The Wheel” builds on Gates’ 2024 glass-box installation, continuing her exploration of repetition and limits by placing the body itself at the center of the work. Recently named a New York Times Artist to Watch for 2026, Gates closes the loop between performance and release. Experience motion as truth and stream the album here. Be sure to connect with Lexa Gates on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.
