project image
Miao Jiaxin
CHRYSALIS [CRY-SOLACE]

first performed on March 21, 2014
Grace Exhibition Space, Brooklyn, NY
performed once in 2014

PREACH R SUN

Kansas City, MO / New York, NY
preachrsun@gmail.com
preachrsun.wix.com/oneman

CHRYSALIS [CRY-SOLACE]
PREACH R SUN

How does one liberate himself in a society of sleeping slaves? This is my life’s mission and praxis. CHRYSALIS [CRY-SOLACE] marks my evolution.

FOUR ACTIONS…

I) I sat in front of a television watching a video reflecting the enslavement of society through capitalism while drinking a gallon of red Kool-Aid. I vomited the Kool-Aid into a large bucket, extracted the red liquid with a turkey baster, squirted it into a jar and sold it to a man for $1.00.

II) A Chain, master lock, black chalk and two cassette recorders sat on a table. I wrote, “FREE SPEECH,” on the table and wrapped one recorder in chains and locked it. I then pressed play on that recorder and Charlie Brown’s, incoherently babbling, teacher blared out, “WAH-WAH.” With the other recorder, I walked around the space recording the comments of the audience. I then returned to the table, rewound the tape and pressed play. As they all gathered to listen I took a hammer and commenced to smash the recorder until the voices were silenced.

III) There was a station set up with a straitjacket and a large cinder block attached to a long truck chain with two large padlocks. There on the floor I wrote, “American Dream Action Playset.” I was strapped into the straitjacket (by an audience member). I took the chain and wrapped it around both of my ankles securing it with the padlocks. Lying on the floor I proceeded to crawl through the space while dragging the cinder block and repeatedly crying out, “RUN NIGGER!” After about an hour of this, audience members intervened in a desperate attempt to free me. One participant took a hammer and smashed the concrete block; others followed, trying to break the chains.

VI) Naked, I entered a large box. I stayed in the box for about an hour before emerging. Sliding (headlong) between the lips of my own gaping mouth, I was reborn covered in blood. There was an umbilical cord attached to my penis filled with Juju seeds. I bit through the cord to free myself and then I walked through the crowd spreading my seeds along the way. I arrived at a white wall. Kneeling before it, I lit four white candles and placed a crown of thorns, made of white light, upon my bloody head. Then, I stood and scribbled in blood, upon that white wall, the words, “I AM FUGITIVE.”