PAR Recruiting Station, May 6-8, 2005
I am 5, Reverse Art Fair
Parkers's Box
193 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
"The Pavilion for the American Resistance" was conceived as an autonomous art event to occur in Venice during the Biennale. As we met to discuss the project, we quickly realized that we were working towards more than a singular exhibition, and that we were in fact building a framework for dedicated exploration of the idea of resistance and its possible forms.
We hope to use the rubric of the Pavilion to carry out exhibitions in the United States and abroad that represent the fruits of our study of this notion of resistance. Given that we all have very different thoughts as to the nature of resistance and what we are resisting, this often takes on a pluralistic nature with many different projects and activities being presented. We are often both the conductors of experiments as well as the subjects of these experiments. We aim to interact with the public as much as possible.
Resistance is a concept that has reappeared and redefined itself throughout history. As artists and citizens of the United States in the present time, we encourage other groups to carry on the process of creating their own pavilion of the American Resistance to convey a more in-depth representation of what it means to be actively resistant in the current culture.
The artists involved in developing this project were Bibi Caldarero, Mike Estabrook, Vandana Jain, Pierre Obando and Cat Tyc.
Visitors were invited to join the Pavilion of the American Resistance, by signing our guestbook and receiving a PAR-issued handrawn ID card.
In respect for anonymity, all visitors were asked to sign "John Hancock." The diversity of handwritings, along with their identifying monsters, created a unique portrait of our membership.
New members were issued ID cards, their photos being monsters they had chosen to represent them. These monsters were handdrawn by Mike Estabrook, with assistance from Pierre Obando.
Once the members had signed up and were issued their ID cards, they were invited to add their statements to the ever growing manifesto, contributing their thoughts on activism and resistance.
PAR Manifesto detail. The wall had been ruled with blue chalk, to create a large note pad for people to write on.
PAR Videos
Two video monitors played footage of masked persons reading various texts and manifestos, ranging from original writings, the Bill of Rights, the lyrics to "the Girl from Ipanema," and passages from Lewis Hyde's "The Gift."
Working off of the conceit of army recruiting videos, both monitors were constantly playing, adding to the general din and cacophony.
Thrift store clothes were reconstructed to create a new flag, in colors taken from flags of resistance.
PAR Kite and Video
"I am a Real Artist," collaged onto a kite, announced the PAR to the gallery visitors on the main floor.