I really don’t like people seeing me sleep. I don’t know why, I just don’t. Years ago, when I lived with my best friend, I would fall asleep on the couch while she was out and if she came home while I was napping, I’d literally grab a magazine really quickly and pretend like I was awake the whole time. She was never fooled and that was a really weird thing to do, but whatever. At least I know that no matter how weird I am, I’ll never be as weird as Tilda Swinton, who I believe is proof in the flesh that aliens have made contact with our planet – and I mean that in the best possible way.
In any case, Tilda has like, the exact opposite of my fear and decided, for art’s sake, that she’d sleep in a glass box in the middle of the Museum of Modern Art in New York on Saturday. She called the exhibition “The Maybe”, which was described as “living artist, glass, steel, mattress, pillow, linen, water and spectacles.” Well, that’s nice and literal.
This isn’t a new thing – she first performed the piece in 1995 at London’s Serpentine Gallery, and she plans on continuing this trend at MoMA all year long, though it’s anyone’s guess as to when.
From Gothamist:
“Museum staff doesn’t know she’s coming until the day of, but she’s here today. She’ll be there the whole day. All that’s in the box is cushions and a water jug.”
“Tilda Swinton will be doing unannounced, random performance art pieces sleeping in a glass box in the museum,” the source added. “Today is the first performance. Each performance lasts the whole day the museum is open.” Swinton and her box are located near the ticket collectors today, but the box may be in different locations at other performances.
Alright, I’m with it. Generally art can get way too la di da for my tastes (especially performance art), but it’s Tilda and she somehow gets away with it. I’ll have to set up a Google alert and go see her next time. What do you think – stupid? ~*Avant Garde*~? Who cares?
I don’t really think it’s possible to love anything as much as I love Tilda Swinton.
You could really spice up the performance part of this art project by having a random person crawl in next to her and watch the fireworks ensue.
Absolutely ridiculous. Have nothing against Swinton but what’s the art of sleeping? What is the art of/in watching someone sleep? Is it the so called vulnerability of letting yourself and all your awareness go and being the ‘true you’? To me, it only seems weird. And creepy. And just to be sure; she is really sleeping, right?
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh the pretentiousness
….You were posting earlier about “Pompous Ass-hats”? Here’s my candidate.