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Have you ever actually tried to sit through your grief, revel in it in order to eventually move past it? That's what artist Precious Okoyomon (they/them) are trying to do through their new exhibit "Fragmented Body Perceptions as Higher Vibration Frequencies to God," now on view at the Performance Space New York in the East Village through May 9.
"Considering the events of 2020—the pandemic and the repeating horrors of Black death—and responding to the brutal mood of apocalypse and rapture in the past year, Okoyomon sought to create an ecosystem that could hold grief," explains the official press release associated to the show.
Employing ash from kudzu, an invasive vine originally from Japan and used in the United States to prevent soil erosion from the cultivation of cotton, the installation is basically a room filled with large, eerie stone sculptures surrounded by gravel. While ashes float out of pipes above, a stream of red dirt flows through the center of the room and loud sounds (think screams from a crowd and flaps of birds) take over a viewer's hearing system. Think of it as a pretty deep, albeit unusual, therapy session that is meant to help you cope with the events of the past year.
"A lot of people don’t get to go to an installation and just sit in there or lay down on the ground," says the artist in an official statement. "But I feel like it's going to be one of those special spaces where I want people to come and have time to self-fragilize."
As is the case with all current exhibits, COVID-19-related safety guidelines are in place. All attendees will need to don face coverings, maintain social distancing measures and the space will only welcome a few viewers at a time.
Although the show is completely free to the public, RSVPs are required. Secure a ticket right here.
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