01.01.09 kulturnatib

Performance artist of the year
When I learned last September of my nomination for the Golden Cherry Award for Best Performance Artist of Year 2008 I was rather skeptical.

For one, up till then I had only done one public performance of note locally and for another, the year was hardly over. There was still a fourth of the year to go.

In art, as in life, so many things can happen in a day let alone a whole quarter of the year.

True enough, as the year wrapped up to a close, there was one unintended, perhaps even thoroughly spontaneous, performance art piece that has caught the imagination of the world and is now fast becoming a protest act of choice worldwide.

Of course, that may just be myself calling it a performance art piece. For all we know, it could really just have been an act of simple if angry, yet non-violent – or at least non-fatal – protest.

But my understanding of performance art that has deeply influencing my own practice of it sees journalist Muntader al-Zeidi's act of hurtling both his shoes at George Bush as an excellent example of performance art.

It was site specific, with a large element of spontaneity and widespread audience participation – albeit, in the case of Bush, unsolicited, even as he was the object of the performance piece's pointed artist statement.

The beauty of this piece is that it did not need a formal statement in the manner of a written statement that accompanies exhibits or most performances.

Nobody who knows anything about the Bush authored American fiasco in Iraq could miss the point even if the first viewing of the video documentation tends to miss out the cries uttered in Arabic by al-Zeidi translated thus: "This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog!" And then, with the second shoe: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!"

Aside from site specificity, there is also cultural specificity. This performance can only be done most effectively and authentically by an Arab for among Arabs throwing footwear is an act of supreme contempt and insult.

To even show the heels of one's shoe as one does when sitting with a crossed leg over other knee position is not encouraged among Arabs unless one specifically wishes an insult.

Not only do I identify with this act of art and protest as a performance artist but also as a writer, a cultural journalist.

At a shoe throwing protest activity in front of the US consulate in Montreal days before Christmas, activist and Canadian journalist Stephen Cristoff said that for journalists al-Zeidi's act should signify the taking off of the imagined 'objectivity' of journalism and throwing a clear light on those truly responsible for the horrific carnage in that devastated country.

Both of my favorite columnists are right. Raymund Fernandez, being a performance artist himself calls al-Zeidi's act an artistic and creative thing and hopes for the equivalent of to be applied on GMA and her allies which will then make him sleep fitfully.

Conrado de Quiros looks further into what that cultural equivalent would be for us and invites the public to share their thoughts and suggestions.

I join both in urging action. Peaceful, forceful, creative, empowering action to break the evil grip of GMA on the country.

For my part I will start with naming Muntader al-Zeidi performance artist of the year.