‘One of the characteristics of globalisation is an increased sense of connection with people (and their suffering) who otherwise continue to remain physically separate from us’
‘This heightened feeling of both connection and disconnection at the same time calls for more ways in which such a complex mode of modern humanity can be positively nurtured’
Aesthetic Fast is an inclusive performance artwork by Fer designed for two things:
Firstly, to reach new groups of people for the cause against modern day slavery by taking a new, arts based approach to the cause that moves beyond the familiar moral, political or ethical articulations of humanitarian work towards an aesthetic framing of it. That is, viewing our participation (at any level) in the modern day abolitionist movement as an aesthetic, artistic act, not only a moral one. Secondly, in doing so, we are creating more holistic ways of responding to the issue that engage more of the whole person at a deeper level. This symbolic and artistic approach is not intended to compete with direct activism, fundraising or interventions but ultimately to support and complement it.
Aesthetic Fast is an invitation to participate in an ongoing and expanding performance artwork; that allows people to make a physical response to the suffering of others through communal, enacted symbolism; by becoming part of a living performance artwork.
The Performance
Audience-cum-performers begin by purchasing a not-for-profit gender neutral ring containing a gemstone that has been ethically sourced from an area of the world where sex trafficking is common. The ring is then delivered to the exhibiting gallery. At the exhibition, buyers/performers and other guests gather to observe the rings undergoing an electroforming process that encapsulates the gemstone under a silver plating, rendering it inaccessible to the light. This process takes place as a communal, ritual act within the gallery space and takes a few hours to complete.
With each stone now hidden from view, the ‘aesthetic fast’ is created for the ring owner who continues to wear the ring in everyday life but is unable to view or value it for its beauty. As performers wear the rings in their everyday life, they form part of an ongoing and expanding collaborative performance, becoming not simply art buyers but part of the art themselves as performers.
The performance provides an opportunity for people to act out and to perform both their lament and their compassion for those affected by modern day slavery and trafficking while they follow and support the work of global abolitionist organisations.
The performance end
Each performer can self-select the duration of their performance. It might be six months or two years - it is up to the performer. But as each gemstone is sourced from an area of the world where slavery or sex trafficking is operating, the owner of each ring can set the duration for their performance to correspond to the abolitionist work in that area. So for example, if the stone comes from Cambodia, the performer might choose to end their fast when certain goals have been met (e.g. a certain number of people rescued, or certain legislative frameworks have been set up, or criminal convictions achieved etc). When the goal is met, the performer might end their fast.
Whenever they choose to end the fast, the performer would have the electroforming process reversed, the plating removed from the gemstone and freeing the gem to be seen and enjoyed within the light.
Background to the performance
Several contemporary artists are exploring these kinds of embodied artworks, the most famous of which is probably Marina Abramovich. However, we draw particular inspiration for this type of performance in the sacrament of the Eucharist which is a communal ritual involving shared broken bread and poured wine. It’s an example of an ancient and ongoing symbolic, collaborative performance that enacts a relational form that exists between all members of the Christian faith who may be separated by time and place. It’s art - made of relationship.
Fasting is an ancient practice that is shared across many of the world’s religious traditions. And one of its purposes is to be an accompaniment to our prayers and laments for the suffering in the world. It’s an embodied act in which we impose a limitation on our physical selves - in this case a visual limitation. And we do this as a way of symbolically aligning ourselves with those we care about, even if we don’t know them and have no direct way of expressing our care for them. So fasting is a way of symbolically performing both our grief and our hope for the world.