New Work at Faculty Show

Check out two interactive pieces and a music video - all new- at the Faculty Exhibition.

Hope to see you at the reception on April 8th from 6-8!  The show is up from now until May 29th.

Artistactivist Fundraiser

 

All are welcome at Artistactivist fundraiser this Sunday.

Time Expands

I'm up at nights thinking of how slow I've been at getting Widowsweave  into galleries and spaces.  Is it life or disorganization, timidity or timing?  I've had a couple of apps and grants not quite get accepted, but there is a haze on the whole project which I have to clear away.  I have to buckle down and find the time and space to make real progress, only without depleting our resources.  Until I receive a grant or find employment, I have to stay on the cheap.  There is still much I can do.

Lines in the Sand: 20th Anniversary of Gulf War on MLK Day

Alyssa and I went out on North Montrose Beach in the freezing rain as drew 2000 lines in the sand for the 20th anniversary of the Gulf War.  After a year and a half of performances, and such a long gap since my last performance, I found that I was thinking more about the project and its efficacy as activism and art than about the widows themselves.  I think that I need to keep with my vision of engaging community in this project or it will become just a counting exercise.

2000 lines

 Ice formations

 January 17th Commemoration

 Lines in sand-on-snow-on-sand

 Like sentinals

Artistactivist Fundraiser

Artistactivist will have it's first fundraiser on January 30, 2011. I will perform/display some of my Widowsweave works.  Check back for details.

The Other Side of the Atlantic

Yesterday I remembered Iraqi widows and their situation from the other side of the Atlantic off the Devon coast of Southwest England at the quay at Hartland Point.  This trip has been a restful, thoughtful one of nature walks and climbs.  Upon return I will continue work on my Widowsweave.

Widowsweave Exhibit Postcard

Widowsweave Exhibit

Widowsweave Exhibit Opening Performances

April 23rd

5-7pm

1104 S. Wabash, Chicago

2nd Floor Raw Space

Come draw lines to benefit Iraqi Widows through May 14th

Get involved now

Panel Discussion: Women Artists and Muslim Society

April 30th -6:30-8

Open 10-5 through May 14th - Performances most days - Participate anytime

May 14th Manifest closing performances

More to come!

Spring Events

Watch for upcoming information on Eyes Wide Open event on the 13th and 14th of April.

Also Widowsweave thesis exhibit will be taking place from April 23-May 14th.  check back for event schedule.

Peace to Iraq: Bundle of Branches

Ideas #24: hang the Widowsweave: Peace bundle of branches in chalk room and spend time writing "Peace" & Al-Salaam.

#25: place bundle on slab in entryway.

Water for Widows

# 22 & 23: Another proposal would be Water for Widows, covering the entire surface of the granite slab with glasses of clean water - or just one glass in the center.

Iraqimemorial.org - Joseph DeLappe

Thanks to Victoria B. for showing me Joseph DeLappe's  iraqimemorial.org.
This is an online open proposal site for memorials to civilian casualties in Iraq. They are just proposals, the way NYC solicited proposals for a 9/11 memorial.


There is a great list of charities to donate to.  How come there is still no way to give to widows?  They just seem to be forgotten.

Widowsweave Installation

Widowsweave installation is in progress.  The entry room is almost finished here.

 

Panels for the final chalk room

The entry with lights off looking through to the back wall

Peace to Iraq on Election Day

Today my wife Mary and I and  our good friend Alan, who speaks Arabic as one of his five languages, joined Jaber's extended family and friends to draw Peace and  السالم (Al Salam) in the sand.  At Loyola beach in the cool rain it felt festive, celebrating the election - it felt to me personally like a Thanksgiving celebration, with extended family and select friends all joyous and hopeful.

The original intent was to draw English and Arabic translations of Peace for each of the elected positions in today's vote.  Online I thought that there were to be 440, but when I followed through, it seemed that there were 440 provincial elected officials in 2009, and that this year there were 440 banned candidates (or one report said "more that 440").  After changing a flier to reflect "banned" instead of "elected" it turned out impossible to calculate exactly how many times we inscribed peace in the rain-dampened sand.  Jaber and Alan each did well over 50, I did 50 and everyone else worked some.  So this count is a best-guess estimate, like a count at an election rally, when official estimators say there are 10,000 in attendance.  I am saying that we did about 325 - which is the number elected to parliament in today's election.  I also made an executive decision to average the number of strokes at 20 per pair - 8 for السالم and 12 for PEACE.

So for Lines in the Sand, we are estimating 6500 lines or 325 x 20.  Of course this was much more than any line total or simple tally; it was the gathering of hope, aspiration and love for Iraq, for the Alturfee family and friends and for Iraqi widows.

Al-Salam,  
السالم, Peace

43 Days performance totals

We made our goal by drawing lines on almost all beaches from Calumet Park to Gillson Park.

43 Days performance total: 436,913 lines
(goal 430,000)
Widowsweave: Lines in the Sand total: 460,053 lines
(goal 3,000,000)

Wk 7 Sun. 2/28: 13,912
Wk 6 total: 58,345
Wk 5 total: 67,286
Wk 4 total: 30,110
Wk 3 total: 71,900
Wk 2 total: 85,810
Wk 1 total: 109,550
Previous Lines in the Sand: 23,140

Thank You to All

Widowsweave: Lines in the Sand - 43 Days has met its goal with 436,913 lines drawn in the sand, snow, sleet, rain, mud and gravel to remember widows in Iraq -and who are refugees now all over the world - as well as to commemorate the killed and wounded of that 43 day war in 1991 that started my long artistic relationship with justice and Iraq.  A deep, grateful, heartfelt thank you to all who helped complete this project by making it out to Chicago's frozen beaches as well as those who have supported previous Lines in the Sand performances with advice, documentation and performance.  Thanks to Dinah Ryan and Principia College for allowing me to engage students on and off campus with the events of last weekend.
Special thanks go to my colleagues Susan and Shalaka who are there when doubts arise.  Extra love and gratitude for the friendship and participation from Jaber Alturfee, a true friend and companion in this project.  And most of all, as always, all my love and debt of gratitude goes to Mary my wife and best friend.

Final Day - Day 43 - Greenwood St. Beach

This last day had heartfelt guests drawing lines in a soft snow.  There was a web, flowers, chains, and patterns.  We had branches from the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and from up and down the Chicago lakefront.  We discussed the meaning of the number 3 million, counting of lines, prayer and the significance of the 43 days.  The overall goal was met for this extended performance.  I felt so exhilarated as these last few days saw the completion of 430,000 lines, but also my freedom to schedule other activities.  I also know that the last few days signaled the anniversary of the ground assault of Iraq nineteen years ago including the carnage on the retreating troops.  I suppose that our troops felt the same exhilaration as their task was completed.  I think that their must be an excitement now, with seven days until the Iraqi elections.

I remember the day our ground troops entered Iraq.  As I recall, the military would only let one CNN reporter go in with the troops.  He was on the Highway of Death and interviewed a private the first day who said that he didn't know what to do beacause they were supposed to gather bodies to identify but that there was a finger here, a head over there and a foot down the road.  I never heard that quote again.

 

 

We have left no dead, rather lines of memorial - counting the survivors who would otherwise not be counted in any way, hoping for better things: for change with the election, for an end to corruption, sectarianism, oppression, poverty and occupation.  We are hoping above all for peace.  Widowsweave will continue with other events to raise awareness throughout the next year. Let us hope that these performances realize themselves in actual change for these women, their families, communities and their country.

 

13,912 lines, webs, chains

Week 6 totals

Week 6 totals:

Day 42 total - 19,733
Day 41 total - 8,200
Day 40 total - 7,400
Day 39 total - 9,000
Day 38 total - 7,324
Day 37 total - 2,050
Day 36 total - 4,638

Total - 58,345

43 Days performance total: 423,001 lines
(goal 430,000)
Widowsweave: Lines in the Sand total: 446,141 lines
(goal 3,000,000)

Wk 5 total: 67,286
Wk 4 total: 30,110
Wk 3 total: 71,900
Wk 2 total: 85,810
Wk 1 total: 109,550
Previous Lines in the Sand: 23,140

Day 42 Montrose Beach meets North-East Wind

 

Today was much colder than I expected, and proportionally more difficult to draw lines in the snow/sand.  My implement this day was a wonderful tool for interesting marks - sometimes check-marks, sometimes x's, sometimes double lines, sometimes single tapered lines.  I explained to Bryan how counting double lines, or not counting them is an existential dilemma.  Bryan got a cell call that was longer than he'd expected which is how it goes sometimes -art and life imitating each other.  Whether it's counting double lines, taking a call, losing count, counting by nines or elevens instead of tens by accident or writing the numbers in the sand/snow to keep track - all have parallels in the economy of war and oppression.  Leaving out the count, exaggerating the count, being distracted, approximating using extrapolation, caring about every detail or being satisfied with a close representation - all have been carried out over and over again when accounting for dead, wounded, care for wounded and family, widows, orphans, dispalced, refugees...

  

 

Eden concentrated on tilling motions, and also on the resulting lines which he thought resembled train tracks.  He created tracks that meandered around acres of beach ending at a tall steel light post, like the hub or station.

Jaber brought his nephew, a recent refugee who has been in Chicago for only 2 days.  He wisely took stock of the wind and returned to the car with apologies.  No sense in being out there without proper clothes for this weather.

Day 41 - North Ave. Beach

My larger heavier stick with a bend at the end made for a challenging time, along with the strong north wind and varying thicknesses of snow.  The end of the branch had a unique hook to it which demanded certain gestures on my part.  some times I would press down and the hook end would stamp a line.  this branch was not to be dragged easily, but at most angles the end would make a two-three inch line.  Turned over- so that the bent part of the branch defied gravity and went straight into the air - the hook would dig a little hole and pull out sand and snow or, if the snow was deeper and of the right consistancy, would simply pierce the snow.  Stamping alludes to various official functions, keeping government record of death, of those who need aid, of discrimination.  Hooking and digging out can be a cleansing or a torturous separation - or a weaving function.  Piercing speaks for itself.

Shalaka,  Sharvari and I  compiled 8,200 lines.