Taken Down

In this durational performance, I hired a white cis male performer to take down the art that was exhibited in my group show. From behind the camera, my voice directs him on exactly what to do and how to do it. As I give him specific orders on how to handle each piece, I also begin to extend the reach of my will to his person. Piece by piece, I instruct him to unbutton his shirt, take off his shoes, and remove his clothing–paralleling the increasingly bare walls with his increasingly bare body. Audience members were allowed to watch through strategic peep holes that are cut into tarps blocking the entryways of the gallery. Remaining conspicuously unseen as the performer becomes more and more exposed until the end, the 14:30 video below is edited from the footage I took during the 2 hour 30 minute performance.