Venerations is a performance piece honoring the Palestinians who have died in Gaza since 7 October, 2023 by bringing physicality to their sheer quantity and denouncing the genocide that killed them. The performer, Edrian Ochoa, will manifest the death toll by dedicating all of his waking hours to cutting out a paper doll or a ribbon for each of the confirmed dead, now in the tens of thousands. During the performance, Ochoa will not eat, hunger striking until it is complete or his biological limit is reached. Spatial and social constraints will also be adhered to with the performer bound to the performance space for its entirety, only communicating with active participants or when in need of supplies. Anyone is welcome to participate by making cuttings with the performer or mailing in cuttings made using the digitally provided template. Additional components include:
- A means of donating to another fund that will be distributed amongst relevant charities and organizations.
- A petition asking the ArtCenter College of Design, the performers’ current school, to take a series of actions that affirm its dedication to justice with a distinctly antiwar and pro-Palestinian stance.
- A video of South Africa’s court proceedings against Israel.
- Audio recordings of important Islamic prayers used in Palestinian mourning rituals.
- A sign counting the days of genocide that have passed, starting at 7 October, 2023.
- A bibliography of recommended readings.
- Sheets of paper where people can record questions that are to be documented.
- A digital and public spreadsheet documenting performance progress as well as the performer’s temperature, pulse, and blood pressure.
- A live video feed of the performance through internet accessible sources.
The goals of Venerations are:
- To cause disquiet to witnesses of the performance as they encounter first hand a fraction of the suffering being experienced in Gaza via the performer’s willful denial of human needs.
- To publicize the magnitude of Israel’s crime against humanity in order to pressure it and its benefactors, like the United States and its allies, into ceasing all violence.
- To provide solace to those who mourn the Palestinians and their impacted loved ones.
Venerations requires funds for renting a venue and buying supplies. The performer will use all donated funds for the project, making no profit and fronting many of the costs out of pocket. He does this while desperately needing money for his own education and living expenses.
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Learn More: https://venerations.cargo.site/