Brooklyn woman to give birth on stage as part of her ‘performance art’
Chris Spags What is performance art? It’s kind of hard to define. But here’s an example…a Brooklyn “performance artist” is going to give birth to her child on stage.
Brooklyn’s Marni Kotak will be headlining a show called “The Birth of Baby X,” according to the New York Post. In it, Kotak will share her life experiences with viewers, culminating in her giving birth to her first child.
Kotak tells the Post, “I hope that people will see that human life itself is the most profound work of art, and that therefore giving birth, the greatest expression of life, is the highest form of art.”
Kotak’s previous performance art showings include “staged re-enactments of her own birth, attending her grandfather’s funeral and losing her virginity in a blue Plymouth,” according to the Microscope Gallery’s Web site.
The show started this weekend and will be running through November 7th. The gallery advises visitors upon arrival that Kotak can give birth at any moment.
There’s no doubt that a woman giving birth is poetic and artistic in its own right. And to see something like this is certainly not a common opportunity. But is someone’s willingness to allow random people into the most intimate moment of her life really “art”? There’s not even any real performance here. Probably more interesting than someone smearing feces all over a canvas and going, “TA DA! Performance.” But there’s not a real talent here. I could lay on the ground and allow people to watch me expel living organisms all day. Hardly makes me an artist.
Either way, what’s the difference between me/you and a performance artist? The fact that you and I still have our dignity.
The Birth of Baby X [Microscope Gallery]
Brooklyn performance artist to give birth before audience in gallery [NY Post]
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