Saturday, Sept. 14 / 4-9pm
MARK BLOCH
This performance had to do with death and rebirth in the form of found objects that are reborn from mysterious beginnings and finding their proper place in a vast universe. I found dozens of colorful plastic balls that each previously contained a "Dragon Ball Battle Figure."
Next I found a beautiful book published by a Chinese monastery in Australia called "Selected Translations of Miao Yun Part 1" in which "an old monk overcomes difficulties and progresses step by step toward Buddhahood in the midst of a peaceful cloud (Miao Yun).” A typical page of the text therein that I adhered to the back states “Continuity of birth and death explains that life is impermanent and continuous.”
I systematically removed the pages of the book out and then cut out all the English paragraphs of the book separately (allowing the Chinese characters on the back of each page to fall where they may), leaving each slip of paper as its own message, slightly longer than but similar to the fortune one would find in a fortune cookie.
By distributing the colored balls with the help of an assistant (Cooper Mars, son of ABAD artist Robert Mars), we made it possible for each member of the audience to unite with their own unique colored plastic ball each containing a different paragraph from the book.
I hope I fulfilled the destiny not only of time and space but also of the author, myself , Cooper and the previous owner of the toys, so that all the people in attendance and all the “fortunes” found their proper destinies, setting everything right in the world.
MARY CAMPBELL
Through the creation of collage, installation, video and performance art I examine aspects of ritual, social politics and public interaction. Working as an individual artist and also as a performer/organizer of Day de Dada (a NYC fluxus based, dada inspired Performance Art Collective) I have a varied art practice. My performance work engages the audience, often capitalizing on the element of chance.
“In Memoriam” Rosemary was a part of funerals in the past because of its magic of powerful fragrance and aid in remembrance. Mary Campbell gave ABAD guests a piece of rosemary and asked them to “Close your eyes, think of a past soul, take a whiff, and remember.”
I walked amongst the crowd and performed “In Memoriam,” one-on-one. The herb Rosemary was a part of funerals in the past because of its magic of powerful fragrance and aid in remembrance. Mary gave ABAD guests a piece of rosemary and asked them to “Close your eyes, think of a past soul, take a whiff, and remember.”
