Performance artists to bring past decade to life

Beginning Thursday, Feb. 9, Jiawei Gong will work with grains of sugar over the course of a few days to construct a visual piece similar to the recently popularized Tibetan monk sand art, a performance art act entitled "Sweet Salvation." Gong has worked with sugar many times before, but the nature of the picture he will create at the University of Northern Iowa is unknown, and will remain so until he finishes on Feb. 12.

The art is part of "Times, Interludes and Actions," an exhibit the UNI Gallery of Art will host from Feb. 8 to March 1. The gallery is a collection of performance art from artists across the country who look to respond to the first decade of the new millennium. Artists Joe Meiser and Jeffery Byrd have contributed works that will be performed by UNI students during the gallery's duration.

According to Darrell Taylor, director of the UNI Gallery of Art, the performances will take place simultaneously and continuously during the show's run in the Kamerick Art Building, with looping video of the performances that are not being shown live. Videotaping of Gong's performance will also be provided for anyone who missed the beginning of the piece and wants to catch up on its progress.

Performances of Meiser's work will take place Feb. 13-17, starting at 12:30 p.m. every day. Meiser will not be attending the gallery, and students will be performing his piece, but little is currently known about the content of that piece.

"I only have an intriguing box full of objects from Meiser," said Taylor.

Byrd's piece will also be performed by UNI students and will be open for viewing Feb. 20-24, at 12:30 p.m. each day. Taylor said that students will be evoking an image from a medieval tapestry that was featured in the latest Harry Potter movie.

"Artists find performance art is a really great way to embody an idea," said Taylor. "The crowd gets bigger and bigger every year."

The gallery will also feature a book showcasing the performances of Rachel Rosenthal, as captured by photographer Daniel Martinez. The book, entitled "Soldier of Fortune," is unbound, and each page will be encased behind glass and displayed for the duration of the gallery.

At the end of the exhibition, Gong will destroy his piece and sweep up the sugar grains into a container. Students will then take the container to a nearby river and scatter it in to the water. Taylor would like the students and faculty to be prepared for a "very exciting event."