I agree with Bobbi's notion of presence, and I don't think I have much to
add to it.

On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 6:34 PM, bobbi lurie <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> I think it is crap only when you are waiting for something to happen.
> Everyone is always waiting for something to happen. I happen to think too
> much has been happening and does happen all the time. Silence and
> non-activity are so rare in our culture it must be shown via art. People no
> longer even look at poetry as something coming out of silence. There is so
> much advertising re: readings etc. which are basically performances.I can
> see how it is easy to make a parody of this. I will say my one criticism is
> that I do think the setting was unfortunate. Way too public for what it
> was.
> I think it should have been put in a small black room like the ones where
> videos are viewed--she could have been put on a stage--if made less public,
> I believe her point would have been better made. As it was, that ugly
> "fame"
> thing was too apparent as was the public viewing of it in way too large a
> space, making a parody of it more possible. But I took it seriously and I
> felt it was important conceptually. I felt it was rock bottom theatre. What
> Caleb wrote rings true for me in terms of this piece. To sit still. Tears
> truly are a response to sitting still regardless of anything. When we stop,
> we cry. Our activities truly are a mask. As is our talk, our opinions, our
> conversations, our need to be entertained and to entertain, to sign our
> name, believe in fame, our self-image which we create and recreate to no
> avail as we all know since it can only become an addiction etc. To  be
> present with someone, to virtually disappear into and with the presence of
> another--to become one with, to unite with the gaze, to stop the brain and
> merge, to be accepted and accept non-verbally but through our very essence
> as mutual humans, allowing the moment and to know we exist in the present,
> the only moment which exists, to feel the power of presence. We long for
> the
> presence of another. Not the chatter. I find chatter, conversation,
> socialization exhausting. But to sit in silence with another: there is
> communion. It hardly ever happens for any of us in life. It is, I think,
> the
> thing we crave most, even if we are unaware of it. For someone to be
> willing
> to be present. I think presence, the willingness to just BE is the rarest
> of
> gifts. Hardly anyone is available to it or for it. The greatest gift you
> can
> give anyone during times of grief is to be present. No words. Just
> presence.
> There are no adequate words of comfort. And most of what we say are just
> opinions or worse. I think we minimize this or don't realize what power
> there is in letting go of our personalities, thoughts, opinions, words. To
> let go and be willing to  just sit across from someone. I am sure this is
> why some people cried. Or it is as Caleb wrote. I see it as a relief from
> our  personalities and the personality of another. The allowance of
> silence,
> of nothingness. I was unaware of the Tim Burton retro--I couldn't have
> taken
> that I don't think--( I laughed out loud at the better toilet design David
> sent link to.) One can easily see it all as pretense or one can see it as
> non-performance and be relieved by that--I saw it that way. I always find a
> way to criticize these levels with artists, the fact that MOMA would not
> dare put her in a smaller space more appropriate to what she was doing.
> Obviously she ok'ed that and I make it a point not to read the artist's
> intention. Perhaps she would contradict all I have written. Please forgive
> my over-writing on this and veering off topic a bit.
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 8:52 PM, Catherine Daly <[log in to unmask]
> >wrote:
>
> > I was at MOMA for Marina Abramovic, too, and what crap.  But, perhaps
> just
> > as nice as the Tim Burton retro, the best thing about which was the
> > timeline, the worst, the movie posters redone lobby card size.
> >
> > I was amused by the fact she'd chosen the table and chairs based on their
> > design, and they were too hard, so she "allowed" herself a cushion, while
> > the other presence was allowed none.
> >
> > And as for the great wall?  Shades of Sophie Calle's video cam? Or v.v.?
> >
> > Oh, and maybe we can start talking about re-performance.  And
> re-creation,
> > and re-installation.
> >
> > I did enjoy the Bern Porter library thing, but is did demonstrate how
> this
> > is hype, and not demonstration.  We're not missing anything but pr.
> >
> > --
> > All best,
> > Catherine Daly
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
>



-- 
Anny Ballardini
http://annyballardini.blogspot.com/
http://www.fieralingue.it/modules.php?name=poetshome
http://www.lulu.com/content/5806078
http://www.moriapoetry.com/ebooks.html
I Tell You: One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing
star!
Friedrich Nietzsche

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