Running Time: 8:17:03 (Click image above to watch)
The Artist is Not Present is a video performance of an eight hour work day. This piece references Marina Abramovic’s seminal 2010 performance The Artist is Present at the MOMA. During her piece, Marina sat for nearly 8 hours a day for 3 months in a performance that challenged both physical and psychological endurance. Anthony Faris’ The Artist is Not Present is a record of one work day- where the artist is most often sitting in front of a computer completing unknown tasks. While Marina spent her performance trading energy and developing a sense of intimacy with her audience, Anthony does not receive any unexpected visits by former lovers or emotional connections with his fellow employees. He simply works and it is uncertain whether the artist is even present in the time and output he is enduring.
ANTHONY FARIS 