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Vennila
Jan.18 - 31, 2004 As the allied death toll mounts, amidst unreported, undercounted Iraqi men, women and children's deaths, artist Vennila nr Kain is offering up a meal for each American death in Iraq. In the grand tradition of commemorating death in India, the soldier's picture is mounted on a frame, in an altar, with flowers and incense. In front of the picture the meal the artist has given up is displayed along with a plaque citing the name, rank, place of origin of the soldier, and the ingredients in the meal that was given up in honor of the soldier's death and a citation to upwards of 20 odd Iraqis that die for every American on the field. At the end of the day, the picture is 'retired' to a wall, taking the plaque of the day and the offering list with it. As days go by the wall behind the installation starts to show a history of death and meals otherwise left uneaten. Also featured on one side is a gymnasium style scoreboard featuring American war dead and the latest toll from Iraqbodycount.com Every evening between 5 and 6 PM, the artist will become part of the installation, ritual mourning and reflecting, animating the installation, or being still with it. People are invited to gather, vigil and meditate in front of the space on the soldier, or the food, death itself, or the death of the soldier, or on the faceless people who remain as numbers in their death, or merely numbers. In the stereo chanting from the Tibetan Book of the Dead can be heard softly. There is a corresponding web front vigil that is maintained everyday at www.sendasalami.com Vennila nr Kain is a native of Madras, India. She is an actor,
poet, and performance artist. Her last performance art piece was
A Line of Separation with Jerzy Kubina at the Fish Tank Gallery
in Williamsburg. As a member of the avant-garde Living Theatre,
she has performed in many of its recent productions, including Not
In My Name, Resist Now, A Day in the Life of New York City and A
Dream of Water. She may be found at www.vennila.net |
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