LIVESTREAM//FEVERDREAM took place in December of 2017 and was the largest and most ambitious project undertaken by Hidden Currencies thus far. It took place in the Gowanus Ballroom, a 10,000 sq/ft former cannonball factory dating back to the 17th century.
The event included the work and dedication of over 30 artists as well as knowledge and expertise of the Serett Metalworks staff.
The theme of the event was "the submission to the ritual of media in the 'Era of Trump'". In it we included dancers, musicians, video artists, performance artists, clowns, sculptors, painters, and installation artists. I personally helped fabricate most of the installations in the event as well as contributed 3 unique works.
The first piece was a miniature theater that played livestream footage of the event on the screen. When the viewer peered into the oculus they would see themselves looking into the piece. This work was directly inspired by Bruce Nauman as well as Inland Empire by David Lynch. The first video is the footage of the surveillance piece that was also broadcasted live on Facebook.
My second piece was a ritual sacrifice in which I shaved my hair in front of a live audience. With the bombardment of media in the modern world one can find themselves put into a trancelike or meditative state. The sheer breadth of content blends into a mental white noise; where Buddhists try to empty their minds, those in the cult of the Feverdream attempt to fill it to the brim in order to reach Nirvana through the back door.
My final work was a video projection that was the visual backdrop for a piece a dance choreographed by Mac Folger and Rebecca Walden. This can be seen below the surveillance video and above the photo documentation of the event. This video plays with digital breath and movement, becoming more and more saturated depending on how much movement is in the frame. This video is the memory of a calm and empty natural world, distorted in a manic and bacchanalian interpretation of Alvin Lucier's 'I am sitting in a room'. Finally the work arrives at a point where the visuals are no longer distinguishable and it is a manifestation of visual code. This video has no sound because it was accompanied by an improvisation led by conductor Martin Yazdzik and performed by his students.