Washington Project for the Arts and the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design present Procedures for Ground Loss Safety, a performance by Sarah Levitt, taking place on Saturday, August 15, from 12pm to 5pm.
Procedures for Ground Loss Safety asks the question: What
happens if the ground has an expiration date, if the solid foundation
on top of which we've built our homes, roads, and bridges suddenly gives
way? Taking inspiration from cheery Cold War safety films from the 1950's, Sarah Levitt will demonstrate Procedures for Ground Loss Safety,
instructing the audience through movement and sound on the appropriate
steps to prepare for sudden ground loss. Exploring the idea's literal
and metaphorical potential, the artist will investigate the relationship
between the body and the ground, utilizing the Performance Bridge's
invisible floor and proximity to the White House to further amplify the
body's new relationship to eroding foundations.
Procedures for Ground Loss Safety is part of Take It to the Bridge,
a nine-week series of installations and performances taking place
through September 15 in the new Performance Bridge located inside the
Corcoran's glass entryway on 17th Street. The Performance Bridge was first constructed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art as the stage for Holly Bass's performance Moneymaker,
a seven-hour endurance work that took place on February 11, 2012,
during the final weekend of the Corcoran's landmark fall exhibition 30 Americans. For Take it to the Bridge,
eleven artists living and working in the DC-Baltimore region will
present nine installations and performances, investigating the Bridge's
physical characteristics and pushing the boundaries of this
non-traditional space to explore a variety of social, political, and
aesthetic issues. Installations will open on Wednesday and remain on
view through the following Sunday for all museum hours. Performances
will take place on Saturdays, from 10 am to 5 pm unless otherwise noted.
The first seven weeks of the series coincide with the Corcoran's Free Summer Saturdays promotion, which run from May 26 - September 1, 2012.
