Thursday, November 11, 2021

Let's Take a Walk #53

                                                     Hello Everyone 

It was a pleasure to present Let’s Take a Walk#53 as part of The Tanja Grunert Gallery programing.

Here are some images of the three phases of LTAW#53

Phase one: Knitting, I need you.

Over the two days prior to the walking performance, I conducted knitting sessions along Warren Street in Hudson NY knitting and having conversations with chance participants. We talk about the Environment, Love and Interconnectedness.They told me stories. 

                                         

One of the knitting participants, on her left hand the L o v e tattoo using her mother handwriting.


                    


Phase two; The participatory performance. LTAW#53

During the walk, we—The Guide, The Town Crier, The Drummer and The Tweet Mastter—engage the participants, invite passersby to join in and guide people from anywhere in the world for the walk. We pose questions revolving around Environmental Awareness, Peace and Interconnectedness . The questioning prompts a conversation which invites participants to share their stories and connect in new ways. As I walk, the knitted skirt made prior to the walk unravels, opening up stories that are shared during the walk.

Cast of Characters for the Walk 


The Guide: Marie Christine Katz ---- Marie Christine Katz is a Swiss-born interdisciplinary performance artist and actor. Collaboration and audience participation is key to her work.


photo by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck


The Town Crier: Laura V Ward ---- Laura V Ward is a maximalist artist, the artistic director of Octavia Cup Dance Theatre, somatic movement educator, and member of your grandmother’s punk rock band, Dick Pinchers.                                                                      
photo by Tonus Maximus 

The Drummer: Tonus Maximus ---- Tonus Maximus is a visual artist, singer, multi-instrumental musician, composer, film maker, writer, and Latin scholar.

                                                                              

The Tweet Master: Angelina Vezzetti ---- Artist and Photographer working in Hudson, NY

                                                                               





photos by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck





photos by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck
photos by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck

                     

photo by Laura Victoria Ward courtesy of mck

                                                             

photo by Laura Victoria Ward courtesy of mck






photos by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck

                     

photos by Paul Katz courtesy of mck







 



 



  

















        


photos by Angelina Vezzetti courtesy of mck

photos by Paul Katz courtesy of mck

Poem by Tonus Maximus in Latin & English 




photos by Joris Pierre Katz courtesy of mck



photos by Paul Katz courtesy of mck





















Phase Three: Shlepping & Displaying 

The day after the walk, I randomly presented and displayed the performance artifact along Warren Street, bringing the work to the public.

                              

                                     

                                                                                        







The final gesture of LTAW#53 took place during a gathering at Tanja Grunert's Gallery. Between Norman Douglas' poetry reading and James Autery's film projection, I performed a short excerpt of LTAW#53. 

photo by Angelina Vezzetti curtesy of mck


Performance artifacts will be on display at Tanja Grunter Gallery                                                    from November 6 — December 19, 2021.


                                                           


Tanja Grunert Gallery presents Let's Take a Walk#53 

by Marie Christine Katz. 


Please visit the Let's Take a Walk Blog to see images and read a description of the three phases of LTAW#53

The walk began in-person at 7th St. Park in Hudson and concluded at Tanja Grunert Gallery while simultaneously being shared virtually on Twitter @mcayer and Instagram live @mcayer27 #walkingtogetherapart.

We walked for hope: for awareness of our actions' effect on others around us, reverberating impact from our community through the whole world. We highlighted the fact that our actions affect each other while honoring our interconnectedness. 

Over two days before the walk, I conducted knitting sessions with passersby along Warren Street, collaborating on making the costume for the performance. While knitting, we exchanged stories aligned with the theme to create a final tapestry of this place.


The Let's Take a Walk project began in 2009 as a virtual Twitter-guided walk. So far, there have been 53 walks with participants globally joining via Twitter and Instagram, creating a shared moment, a collective step towards peace. On-site, each walk is assisted by a Town Crier, Tweet Master, and Drummer.

During the walk, Marie Christine asks questions revolving around Environmental Awareness and Peace. The questioning prompts a conversation that invites participants to share their stories and engage in new ways. The knitted skirt made before the walk unravels as Marie Christine walks, leaving traces of the journey. Performance artifacts along with film and photographs of the walks are compiled into an installation, capturing the ephemera of the shared experience.

We are looking forward to sharing this journey with you. 

Thank you in advance for your support and participation.


Marie Christine 


Marie Christine Katz
Twitter @mcayer (platform for Let’s Take a Walk) Instagram @mcayer27 (platform for Hangers 101 & a Litany of Hashtags & LTAW Live) Instagram @mck_workinprogress (featuring upcycled items) Instagram @DancingAloneWithmyShadow                        

Photographs by Marie Christine Katz unless otherwise noted 




Thursday, April 22, 2021

Let's Take a Walk #52 #EarthDay

Let’s Take a (Virtual Twitter Guided) Walk #52 took place in honor of Earth Day, while #WalkingTogetherApart we planted a seed, a flower, or a tree, we beautify our neighborhoods, our streets with our actions and our (masked) smile and pick up trash.

We walked separately but shared a journey with people worldwide, picking up trash and finding treasures.

 

Finding Treasures

Trash picked up during the walk.
Plastic bags in place for people waiting in line to collect food donation later that day. Food scarcity & poverty in the LES.
Plant a seed, flowers or a tree.



Those two photos displayed in a store front window are by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr. and Brian Anton, to me this sparks the question, How do I protect myself and others during the pandemic without raising the use of plastic and other pollutants.


Thank you so much for your participation. 

From near or far, I hope to share a journey with you again.


I wish you love, laughters and wonderful discoveries.

 

 

Marie Christine 

Monday, March 29, 2021

LTAW #51 took place at the enchanting Blue Spirit in Nosara, Costa Rica, during Deva & Miten's Gayatri Festival. This time, exceptionally, we did not tweet our journey, but our thoughts went to those who could not be with us. Did you, by chance, hum Dona Nobis Pacem at around 5.30 pm (EST)? Participants at the conclusion of our walk wrote in the sand, their walk focus; We walked for Compassion, Respect, Animal's right, Peace, and more. See photos included in this post. 

The walk began with a drum roll by the wonderful Drummer, Laura Young. The Town Criers was the playful Adele Landauer. This time we did not have a Tweet Master. Together we sang and hummed excerpts of Dona Nobis Pacem; we sang Imagine. Participants narrated poems that encapsulated their experience at the Festival. Thank you so much for your participation.


History: So far, there have been 50 Twitter guided walks starting in 2009 LTAW; each is a shared moment—a step towards peace and collective wellbeing. Prompting dialogues and positive changes, walking on-site and with people from anywhere in the world creating a similar footprint on different soil, #walkingtogetherapart.

Join us for the next walk in person or from anywhere in the world via @mcayer on Twitter and Instagram Live @mcayer27. I will inform you of the next walk, or please email me via the contact on my website; I will gladly send you advance notice via email. 

























From near or far, I hope to share a journey with you. Thank you for your participation, collaboration, attention and support. 
With gratitude and love 

Marie Christine 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Let's Take a Walk #50 Took place on February 10th. What song did you sing?

LTAW #50 took place at the enchanting Blue Spirit in Nosara, Costa Rica. I wonder where you were, where did you walk from? was it day or night? What did you hear during our journey together? What song did you sing? Participants selected this walk's focus; We walked for Love, Compassion, Trust, Unwinding Fun, Presence. We also walked for Katy and to keep on playing with Paul.

Participants arriving Photo by Jack Saul

The Drummer and a Town Crier in Preparation Photo by Jack Saul

During the walk, Photo by Jack Saul
Prompting dialogues and positive changes. Walking on-site and with people from anywhere in the world created a similar footprint on different soil, #walkingtogetherapart.


The walk began with a drum roll from our drummer, Steven Michael Pague. The Town criers were Rochelle Webb and Vika Viktoria, Noam Saul, the Tweet Master. Together we sang and hummed excerpts of Dona Nobis Pacem, Imagine, and Bye American Pie. 


History: So far, there have been 50 Twitter guided walks starting in 2009 LTAW; each is a shared moment—a step towards peace and collective wellbeing. 

Join us for the next anywhere in the world via @mcayer on Twitter and Instagram Live @mcayer27. I will inform you of the next walk, or please email me via the contact on my website; I will gladly send you advance notice via email. If you took photos of your journey please send them to me.



Video by Jack Saul

Video by Jack Saul
Looking up we saw the stars, what did you see? 
Photo by Jack Saul

Thank you for your attention and support.  I wish you health, patience, and wonderful discoveries.

                                                         Marie Christine 

Monday, January 18, 2021

Let's Take a Walk #49 took place 1/20/2021.Together we celebrated Joe Biden & Kamala Harris' Inauguration and the completion of Hangers 101 & a Litany of Hashtags*

We walked separately, sharing a journey, from anywhere in the world; Let's Take a Walk #49 via Twitter @mcayer  and on Instagram Live @mcayer27

 

How it worked: Guiding you via ‪@mcayer on Twitter and Instagram Live @mcayer27.

For LTAW #49, the focus was #celebration #compassion & #respect.Prompting dialogues and positive changes. We created a similar footprint on different soil, #walkingtogetherapart. 

I guided you with Noam Saul's assistance as the Tweetmaster, Vika The Town Crier, and Steven, the Drummer. We took a moment to hear the sounds around us during the walk, and then we sang Imagine. "Imagine all the people living life in peace." Let's #dreamofpeacetoghether.

Please send photos and videos of your walk via Twitter or email on this site. I will add to the ever-growing installation. 

History: So far, there have been 49 Twitter guided walks starting in 2009 LTAW; each is a shared moment—a step towards peace and collective wellbeing. #walkingtogetherapart


*Description of Hangers 101 & a Litany of Hashtags

Hangers 101 & A Litany of Hashtags

1/20/2021_1/20/2021. I paused the question, "how do you feel about what's happening around us and in the world? Creating a dialogue on the political/social climate. Participants posed, holding hangers, sharing opinions. I added a thread of yarn, symbolizing their responses, which I turned into hashtags, i.e., #concernedaboutclimatechange, #womensrighttochoose,#whishforpeace, and posted images and hashtags on Instagram (@mcayer27)


a Litany of Hashtags, the ensuing performance (s), comprised monologue(s) created from participants' commentaries and the transformation of the yarned hangers. Performance Artifacts become sculptural work, installation. This work's cumulation comprises a large scale installation, sculptures, performance, a soundtrack, and a video. I am delighted to announce the completion of the Hangers 101 & a Litany of Hashtags Soundtrack created in collaboration with Nicole Brancato, Joris Pierre Katz, and myself, to be found on Bandcamp.


Hangers 101 & a Litany of Hashtags took place in my studio, on the streets as well as at the Glasshouse in Brooklyn, the Bergen Art Festival in Norway, the New York Studio School exhibition, in Back to the Future at Local Project LIC, during The Artist Parade with AIOP, Plaxall Gallery LIC and Blue Spirit in Costa Rica. Visit @mcayer27 on Instagram to see the entire progression of this work.

From near or far, I hope to share a journey with you. 

Thank you for your attention and support. 

I wish you health, patience, and wonderful discoveries.


Marie Christine 

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Let's Take a Walk #48 as Part of Laura Victoria Ward's Playful Connection Embodiment Circle

As part of Laura Victoria Ward Playful Connection Embodiment Circle, I conducted Let's Take a Walk on Friday, December 4th. 

Embodiment Circle is Inclusive, Playful, rooted in Loving Kindness and Fun! 

Here are images of  the key points of our journey.

Today was the National Day of Dices, so the amount of steps for our walk, where decided by chance, 19 steps. 

             

                 Look up, what do you see, this is what I could see.

 
Shel Silverstein poem "Put Something In" guided the next action, 


  
                        What could you hear?                                           Close your eyes, think of someone you love.


We concluded the walk singing Dona Nobis Pacem 

Let's Take a Walk Walking together apart. Moving in sync from anywhere in the world. Sharing a journey, a step toward peace, compassion and understanding. 

Looking forward to taking the next walk with you.

A bientôt 

Marie Christine 

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Let's Take a Walk #47, Vote.

LTAW#47 took us to the early voting, voting booth. We took a virtual guided Walk. Walking separately but sharing a journey #WalkingTogetherApart #Worldwide, departing from Ludlow street to Henry street in the Lower East Side NYC. Where did your walk end? 

Those of you who live abroad joined us to show support in this critical moment. 

We walked for #Peace #Change #Respect and #inMemoriam of those who passed away as it was November 1st, the day of the dead. November 1st is also #VeganDay, with respect to all being.


From near or far, thank you for sharing this journey with me.

Who did you think of?

What was your wish?

What song did you sing? 


The song I hummed was Dona Nobis Pacem.

Paul, Tweet Master of the day, guided you via Twitter, as I led you via Instagram Live.

It was raining, so challenging to Tweet under an umbrella. I was expecting a long line at the pole, but no one was there.


I wish you and your loved one's health, love, and beautiful discoveries.

In the hope that today's voting will significantly change the course of this country and it's relation to the world.

Thank you so much for your participation and support. 

With Love Marie Christine 


See the last few minutes of LTAW #47

Vote 2020