P.S.1 Censors Performance Art

Over the weekend, P.S.1 in Long Island City housed Brooklyn Is Burning, an event curated by Sarvia Jasso and Andres Bedoya that promotes and embraces artistic expression. So certainly the museum that welcomed such an event into their space would also embrace all forms of art... right? Well, it seems even P.S.1 has its limits.

At the event Saturday night, artist Ann Liv Young criticized the performance of Georgia Sagri, who was on before her. According to one report from an audience member, "she viciously insulted Georgia, peed in a bowl, stripped, masturbated... and got into a shouting match with several people in the audience," including Sagri—who left the room when Young began masturbating in front of her (so 1972). Sagri later came back and gave the artist the finger—and sometime after this incident the museum decided to cut the power. Left without lights or a working mic, Young allegedly finished up her performance by simply pouring the aforementioned bucket of urine over herself.

Morty Diamond was scheduled to go on next, and while his performance was briefly illuminated, the museum ended up turning the power off again. His piece, about being transgender, also involved nudity—and he went through with it in the dark.

The curators of the event say, "P.S.1 acted alone in its attempt to shut down the event and censor an artist. We reject censorship in any form and disagree with P.S.1’s actions." We've asked the museum why they decided to censor these performances, and will update when they give us their comment. (And note: the last image in the gallery is NSFW!)

UPDATE: Morty Diamond requested the video be taken down, and the videographer has told us, "I had his total consent to upload it but now that there has been such attention drawn to it he wishes it be taken down."

Also, the Brooklyn is Burning duo updated their website to say their earlier statement "does not reflect the opinions of all artists or co-curator Sarvia Jasso. There are other opinions in this matter."

UPDATE II: P.S.1 tells us, "The decision by the Director of P.S.1 to curtail the performances near the end of Saturday Sessions was made to safeguard the audience, performers, and P.S.1 staff from an escalating and potentially volatile situation. The performers' actions were not previously discussed with or planned by P.S.1."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on March 1, 2010 3:52 PM

Comments [rss]

wow 14th street

Sounds like a SVA graduate student to me.

moonbeam

If people are interested in this kind of "art," I know where there's a crazy, raving homeless guy covered in his own filth that they'd really enjoy.

Anthony

Does Art equal Non-censorship in all of its forms? Really?? Let's see..ummm what other avenues are there for Nubians to express their sexuality? Or to feed their appetite for such? Bet if I too took a bucket of fecal matter and smeared it on this guys face, even if I had to violate everyones rights to do so, that would be considered art too, right?

Laugh!

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Tinderbox

The joke is on the halfwits who stand around watching that for mental stimulation.

Tinderbox

what a wonderful group of disgusting perverts.

Clarice City

Only ugly people do performance art.

blink

How about working on your big fat ass if you're going to strip naked in front of a crowd?

claroquesiputa

Thank you for updating the post. Some people took matters into their own hands, and made public statements without consulting all parties involved. Not really "collective" behavior. LOTS OF BACKTRACKING HAPPENING NOW ON THEIR PART.

claroquesiputa

The statement on the BiB website was not written with the consent of the artists or other curator, Sarvia Jasso. There are many various and divergent opinions on the matter shuffling around right now, and for the sake of all involved no blanket statements should be made on the behalf of a collective or community. Thank you. Please note that the site has been changed and the rightful party now quoted. Please also refer to this post on Art Fag City also updated.

http://www.artfagcity.com/2010/03/01/how-much-pee-in-pan-will-prompt-museum-intervention/comment-page-1/#comment-229844

yearofbrokenglass

Shame, shame on PS1 for pulling the plug on artists they agreed to present.

And shame on the Gothamist readers who are so knee-jerk reactionary.

emilydickinson: the point is that no artist showing at PS1 is safe if the administrators can pull the plug mid-show. The issue is CENSORSHIP and artistic freedom, not whether you like the work. Your hand-picked artists worthy of the showcase might be given the hook next. What a great "opportunity."

whyyyy

ps1 is still an institution and only a place for "artistic freedom" in theory. i don't know that it's malicious or wrong if they felt a situation was getting out of control, where they're still responsible for their visitors' safety.

silver

So if the performer takes a dump, smears shit over herself then throws it at the audience trying to "channel her simian spirit", the performance space has no right to intercede?

Guest

She would never do that... it's so GG Allin circa 1983.

Tower18

This woman is offensive, but not in the way she thinks.

claroquesiputa

Hi Jen, I tried finding your email address on the site. I just want to say that the statement has been updated on the Brooklyn is Burning website

Please read the post again. The statement on the website was not written with the consent of the artists or other curator, Sarvia Jasso, involved, that is now stipulated on the site. There are many various and divergent opinions on the matter shuffling around right now, and for the sake of all involved no blanket statements should be made on the behalf of a collective or community.

Best,

Kathryn Garcia

wiseguynyc

Ugh, did those people pay admission for this? I bet his/her parents are so proud.

emilydickinson

It's such a disgrace that these wannabe clowns waste people's time with their 'art', when there are plenty of artists doing innovative, interesting work that would love to have a chance to get some airtime at PS1. Confronting your audience and dumping a bowl of pee on yourself is pretty self-indulgent.

Murgus

It's not censorship, Anne Liv is a boring skank.

silver

She would make so much more $ making snuff porn in San Fernando Valley.

ChampionOfTheSun

I'm not a fan of performance "art," but if you allow it in your space, then I assume you're agreeing to whatever. Unless PS1 had a set of rules that were broken, then the show should have been able to go on.

Sketto

Apparently, the definition of censorship now includes "turning the lights off when somebody starts masturbating in public".

zincink

I thought "shock" was over.

Darrell

Ugh, and this is why I hate art school art. I say art school art because when you attend these institutions, most professors think that these types of performances are amazing, and actively encourage all their students to go around pretending to be insane, if only for the reaction of the audience. Of course, a few of these students go out living out their teacher's fantasies about the glory days, and then wonder why they're broke and no one will buy their work.

silver

And thats why you get a art school professorship and the circle of craptacular shock art continues.

unsunghiro

this chick ann liv young is as outdated and irrelevant as those out-of-towner kids who walk down st. marks in full 70s punk regalia. according to her blog she agreed to sacrifice a chicken, but knew all along she wouldn't actually kill the chicken (she freed it in some upstate farm, effin hippy). if her hall schtick is about breaking boundaries, why not go all the way and kill the f-ing thing.

eyekantspel

what a wonderful group of free artistic spirits.

lachincha

I like the way the artist made the audience (both at PS1 and here, now, on the internet) about the bravery involved in his performance. I would have liked to see the rest of the piece as it was intended!