Claribel Jolie Pichardo performance:
"One Hand Washes the Other"
a live streaming event on the internet and to SPREAD ART, Detroit
Fri, December 5, 2014
8:00 - 9:00 pm
I present my performance piece as a physical metaphor and representation of the universal and unifying theme of water. Blindfolded, with a water-filled basin in front of me, I invite the audience to let me wash there hands, drying them with my hair. I cannot see, nor judge -- not their gender, age, race... My sole reliance is on feel
CLARIBEL JOLIE PICHARDO "One Hand Washes the Other"
In my early teens, I lived in a boarding school in the Carribean, run by Spaniard nuns. We often didn't have running water, and would have to walk to the local brewery to fill up buckets and gallons of clean water to bathe with, brush our teeth with, wash dishes, clothes and our hands with... Both of my parents grew up very poor in the Dominican Republic, so this was a ritual they were also familiar with. It wasn’t much different from what my ancestors had to do for generations before me — travel to the river to bathe, wash their clothes, gather water for the house... But back then it was not about water conservation or worldwide water shortages. It was about necessity. Unlike what we’re used to here in the states, you couldn’t just open a faucet, run the shower or flush a toilet. Using still, standing water was the only option. Sadly, our society has evolved to be more wasteful with water, despite the obvious signs that we’re abusing our resources. We’re so used to running that faucet, taking long showers, automatic toilet flushes… Imagine having to rely only on still water? This performance piece is a physical metaphor and representation of the universal and unifying theme of water. Blindfolded, with a water-filled basin in front of me, I invite the audience to let me wash their hands, drying them with my hair. I cannot see, nor judge. My sole reliance is on the still water in front of me… and on feel.
CLARIBEL JOLIE PICHARDO
BIO
Biography:
Jolie Claribel Pichardo
Born and raised in NYC, Jolie's artistic background is multi-faceted, drawing from visual art, performance and writing. An academically trained artist, she describes her performance work as nomadic, using personal experiences to set the stage for spontaneous interactions with her live audience. Jolie's past work include performances at Exit Art’s Trickster Theater, NYC’s Circle Arts, Grace Exhibition Space, Panoply Performance Laboratory, Glasshouse, Bushwick Open Studios, Spread Art and Playground Detroit, The Woods and CultureFix. Jolie lives in Brooklyn with her husband and fellow artist Oliver Fuentes.
Video of Claribel at Grayt Zone, Kingston NY:
ABOUT GRACE EXHIBITION SPACE
182 AVENUE C NEW YORK, NY 10009
Facebook Instagram Twitter
GRACE:
Grace, n. - simple elegance or refinement of movement
Grace Period - an extended period granted as a special favor
The Three Graces (Greek Mythology) - charm, grace, and beauty
Opened in 2006, Grace Exhibition Space is devoted exclusively to Performance Art. We offer an opportunity to experience visceral and challenging works by the current generation of international performance artists whether emerging, mid-career or established. Our events are presented on the floor, not on a stage, dissolving the boundary between artist and viewer. This is how performance art is meant to be experienced and our mission is the glorification of performance art.
Grace Exhibition Space presents over 30 curated live performance art exhibitions each year, showcasing new work by more than 400 performance artists from across the United States and the world since 2006.
Grace Exhibition Space for International Performance Art Space IRS tax-exempt 501(c)3 status in 2015.
Grace Exhibition Space follows the We Have a Voice Collectives Code of Conduct to Promote Safe(r) Workplaces in the Performing Arts For more information and resources, visit: www.wehavevoice.org
