MANHUNT [ The Bloodbath Edition ]

In my work Manhunt [The Bloodbath Edition], I have written a score and instructions to an act of performance art. In my project I depict stark, violent imagery , with the intent to shock and disgust the viewer. The goal of this work is to start a discussion on the necessity (or lack thereof) in regards to lethal force. This project was made with the intent to be shocking, gory and somewhat triggering to view as it is a commentary on something just as triggering… lethal force. My work is inspired by Cildo Meireles and his project Insertions into Ideological Circuits: Coca-Cola Project, (1970) where he wrote the instructions on how to make a molotov cocktail on glass Coca-Cola bottles, and proceeded to reintroduce the bottles into circulation. Cildo’s work was made during a time of political unrest as a form of protest. This project responds to trauma from lethal force that's been inflicted onto me and my peers; we’ve had our childhood memories tainted by the presence of lethal force in society. In my project I juxtapose fun childhood memories of fun and games with violence and bloodshed as lethal force has done the same to the early memories of the youth of my generation. A prominent memory I have from school was the Biannual active shooter drills in which we were taught what to do in the case of a school shooting; we were taught to run, hide and fight for our lives. I’ve had multiple traumatic events caused by lethal force, including a murder at my after prom where someone was shot and killed, as well as the raptors parade shooting in 2019. I demand a change so that future generations have a different experience.