Amir baradaran, Act II: Behind the Canvas, On Marina Abramovic's The artist is present

www.amirbaradaran.com - The Other Artist Is Present- Baradaran returns to the table his face now concealed by a series of four overlapping canvases. Each is emblazoned with an enigmatic message. The first canvas, In/out, sets the tone as it refers to borders. The second message, I am a nurse from New Zealand appears to break Abramovics concentration for a moment, moved as she recognizes the reference to a persona she dons when traveling. Baradaran, unaware of the effect he has had on Abramovic, reveals the next canvas: a non resident alien a status familiar to both artists. The final layer, passing of the author, references Roland Barthes essay, The Death of the Author, which advocates the separation of the artist from his/her artistic creation. Baradarans infiltration makes the audience question: who is the performer? Who is in / out?
For, in that moment, it is no longer simply her piece alone but has been subverted into a product of the artists shared passions. Baradaran pauses and then lays the canvases onto the table; he removes his wallet and an inkpad from his pocket, and ritualistically stamps the canvases with his fingerprints.
In the overwhelming light of a sterile performance space, security guards seem ready to spring into action as Baradaran removes his hands from his pockets. The artist evokes the traumatic discomfort felt by a person detained at a security checkpoint.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Marina Abromovic
• Performance Art
• Amir Baradaran
• Artist
• MOMA
• Museum of Modern Art
• New York
• NYC
• Body Art
• The Artist is Present
• The Other Artist Is Present

[solihinusman]

this is actually interesting. i see this guy as a parasitic artist (no offense). in order for him to create his art, intrusion of Marina's art is needed.

[Sneezedoodle]

@TheOragamigirl She doesn't seem to mind. She actually laughed. Several artists have gone to see her many times. One woman showed up with different hair every day.

[godessceline]

@Sneezedoodle She laughed because his note said "the nurse from new Zealand", which is what she always says she does when a stranger asks her what it is she does for a living and she doesn't feel like making conversation. It doesn't change that what he did was still rude and disrespectful.

[godessceline]

@TheEGog Marina has said that when she's performing, since her work is all about the present, whatever happens during the performance is part of the piece. That still does not, however, take away from the fact that this was a highly selfish and disrespectful thing to do. The sign next to the square of light clearly stated that "the artist invites you to sit in front of her in silence", and he deliberately went against that for the sake of his own art, and that's Incredibly egoistical.

[dankwarth]

stupid as shit

[commodorecrush]

All "performance art" makes me cringe.

[eduardtoth]

Marina , such a beautiful human being

[Sagitarius2501]

...

[szeal]

All of what is evoked by Baradaran was already present to some degree.

[goranj2011]

amazing Serbian artist

[lindaravenswood]

Is the chair an invitation to sit down ?

[PauletaPorreta]

Is he trying to say that he left his fingerprint on her art? That he became part of it? If so, then it actually makes sense.