Tag Archives: Performance Art

Taryn Simon Marries Architecture to Sound in “An Occupation of Loss”

The artist uses concrete towers and professional mourners to create a community grieving space

Conceptual visual art can be a beautiful medium, especially when the artist uses elements of architecture in the design. However, Taryn Simon’s work “An Occupation of Loss” is so much more than just a lovely structure to behold. Simon uses … Continue reading

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Performance Art Illuminates the Five Stages of Grief

"A Study of Who" uses lighting, dance and music to communicate about loss

Loss results in a messy, complex set of emotions that affect all five senses. Sometimes, you see the face of the person you lost in a stranger. You smell a hint of their perfume in an elevator. Perhaps you hear … Continue reading

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Performance Artist Uses Power of Ritual to Move Collective Grief

Rebecca Belmore's performance "Vigil" highlights authentic expression and the power of witnessing

We all have different ideas that spring to mind when we hear the word “ritual.” Some of us immediately see in the mind’s eye the titillating Hollywood version, with dim candle-lit rooms and voices rhythmically reciting words in a language … Continue reading

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Thai Artist Lectures to Corpses on Topic of Death

Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook explores worldly and esoteric topics through conversations with the dead

Thai-born artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook’s series of performance pieces, collectively called “Death Seminar,” involves the artist engaged in reciprocal interactions with corpses — often in the form of conversation — where language is used to reveal social blind spots around how we think … Continue reading

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The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic

The grandmother of performance art throws her own funeral

One can’t talk about avant-garde art without mentioning Marina Abramovic. The Serbian artist carved a name for herself in the art world through her cathartic, sometimes disturbing performances. Her goal is to create art that makes us slightly uncomfortable, and … Continue reading

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Artist Bruce Nauman and The End-of-Life Electric

What does it mean to render life, death and humanity in neon?

In the late 1970s, Indiana native Bruce Nauman emerged as one of the key players in America’s contemporary art scene. Like many of his peers, Nauman’s art knew no fixed medium – he worked in print, sculpture, video and even … Continue reading

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