ACRE Projects presents body | armor
New work by:
Chelsea A. Flowers, Luan Joy Sherman, Marcela Torres, and Kim Ye
Curated by Lauren Leving
February 2 – March 4, 2018
CHICAGO – body | armor presents four artists who use their practices to rethink and expand the definition of self-care, both for themselves and for the communities of which they are a part.
Historically, the health needs of marginalized groups have been pushed aside, overlooked by systems developed by and favoring white patriarchal values. During the civil rights movement, self- care became a political act; activists created safe spaces to cultivate the mental, physical, and emotional well being of those frequently relegated to the sidelines. Again, in 2016 immediately following the Presidential election, the concept of self-care saw a resurgence in popularity. A brief Google search of the term results in hundreds of articles, lists, and resources detailing wellness methods. However, while the need for self-care is universal, there is no single solution that meets the requirements of every individual.
While it can be argued that the process of making artwork is inherently an act of self-care, the artists in body | armor go one step further, unabashedly rupturing structures of injustice and drawing from their lived experiences to create performances, objects, and video that connect with audiences on a personal level, promoting healing and showing the importance of holistic healthcare.
body | armor Public Programs
All events take place at ACRE and are free and open to the public. ACRE Projects welcomes all gender expressions and features gender neutral bathrooms. ACRE’s space is ADA Accessible.
Friday, February 2nd // 6-9PM Opening reception and opening night performance with Marcela Torres // 7:30PM
Sunday, February 4 // 1PM Performance by Trans Boxing Collective (Luan Sherman & Nola Hanson)
Saturday, February 24 // 12 – 5PM Artist Led Day of Self Care with Chelsea Flowers, Marcela Torres, Chris Zain, Rhonda Wheatley, and more!
Sunday, March 4th // 4PM Closing performance with Kim Ye: TAKEN DOWN*
For this closing performance, I have made a performance called TAKEN DOWN, which corresponds with the deinstallation of the show. In this durational performance (which I’m estimating will last around 3 hours), I will hire a white cis male performer to take down the art that was exhibited over the past month. Directing him from behind the camera, my voice instructs him on exactly what to do and how to do it. As I give him specific orders on how to handle my photographs, how to patch the walls, and how to carefully set down 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–parallelling the increasingly bare walls with his increasingly bare body. Situating myself behind the camera the entire time, I remain conspicuously unseen as the performer becomes more and more exposed. Audience members will be allowed to watch from strategic peep holes that are cut into tarps, which are blocking the entryways of the gallery. The performance is over once all the art is deinstalled and the performer is completely nude.
This performance engages the concept of self-care by reversing the hegemony of the white male gaze, which is overrepresented in current mainstream culture. As a woman of color whose demographic as an Asian Female is overtly fetishized (especially by straight white men), the absence of my figure from the frame of view places me in the position of director–acting as a kind of voice of God(dess). Representing myself as a creator–rather than an object–of fantasy TAKEN DOWN is both a metaphorical as well as literal act of repair and reparation. While an individual fighting for social justice can easily be overwhelmed and discouraged fighting the tides of social injustice, this performance suggests a strategy for moving towards parity that uses one’s own desire as a life vest.
*Made possible with funding from the Foundation of Contemporary Art Emergency Grant