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/Title of Work/ "Ask Me Anything"
/Medium/ Interactive Performance
/Date/ 2004/2005 |
The performance of "Ask Me Anything" emphasizes/explores/exposes emotional nakedness rather than physical nakedness. The performance itself is very straightforward: the audience is invited to ask me deeply personal questions of their own devising, which I will be required to answer. No topics are off limits, nothing is too private, crude, invasive, intimate or taboo to be asked of me. I envision a short ten to fifteen minute performance (or less.) During this time as many questions as possible will be asked and answered, quickly and without self-protection or prevarication. (Exact mechanics of the asking of questions are to be determined, but the audience members will not be given any anonymity in asking their questions, requiring a bit of nakedness on their part.)
The issue of trust is deeply explored in this setting - as performer I am trusting that the audience will not abuse the power given to it. The audience also has to trust that I will actually answer the questions it poses, and not violate the tacit agreement framed by the performance that I will answer any question posed to me. Can audience members keep their curiosity in check when given the opportunity to probe into my emotional space? Or will they seize the power given to it, and ask invasive, cruel or compromising questions? What about the dynamic amongst the audience itself - will they "pile on" if an invasive trend is set, or resist that impulse?
This performance debuted in September 2004, at Nude Media Night, an event curated by Adam Overton.
Performance History:
06/04/05 - Interchange 3.
10/14/04 - Nude Media Night at California Institute of the Arts, curated by Adam Overton.
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