a relational performance project by BRAZILIAN artist VITOR BUTKUS
SAT 09.29.12: 9PM – 12AM
$10 requested donation.
this performance takes the form of a party
VITOR BUTKUS (born 1983) is an artist and art researcher. who lives in PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL. his work deals with the borders between life and art, usually focusing on gender issues and autobiography. his recent artworks embrace the act of record-keeping as a focus for artistic experimentation.
during the party a photographic machine is set up and placed at a discreet point to capture a panoramic view of the space. the machine will be programmed to take photographs with extremely long exposure times – no less than an 8 minute open shutter. it is expected that the resulting pictures will show few traces of people. the lights and the empty space will be, on the other hand, sharp and clear. although the artist remains responsible for the audiovisual installation, the event will be made whole by the public, activated by their relationship to the space. obtained images will be sent to all participants the following day.
the title, IS THAT ALL THERE IS?, makes reference to a song written by AMERICAN songwriters JERRY LEIBER and MARK STOLLER and made famous through the voice of PEGGY LEE during the sixties. the song is based on the 1896 THOMAS MANN short story, DISILLUSIONMENT [ENTTÄUSCHUNG].
this piece is inspired by a LOUIS DAGUERRE 1838 eight-minute exposure of a busy city street. his resulting daguerreotype only captured all things motionless (buildings on a tree-lined street and a single man having his shoes polished) while everything that moved was blurred into invisibility.
