caged/uncaged (Martha’s Peel)
12 ft high x 8 ft diameter cylindrical, open wooden structure resembling a minimalist, birdcage. At the center of the floor of the cage, a mechanically rotating seat allows the viewer to turn inside the cage and confront the notion of extinction from Martha’s “point of view.”
the viewer is invited to:
a) draw on the chalkboard floor, and/or
b) play an instrument or vocalize while turning on the seat, and/or
c) explore movement inside the small circular space.
Your movements can be viewed on the “bird’s eye” view streamed live from the video camera.
Martha, in her own way, would have engaged in all three of these activities—rubbing her beak on a chalky block, cooing/emoting, and moving throughout her avian prison—as she unwittingly lived out her days as the last of her species
Let the student receptionist know if you consent to be recorded. The video will be edited and included in the November 19 performance of Stray Bird with Michael Pestel and Taketeru Kudo.