SUSTENTANCE

Part of the DUMBO Art Under The Bridge Festival 2009. After fasting for 11 days prior to the weekend- long performance, Bonafede piled a mound of potatoes around him, starting from the inside of a storefront window behind him and spilled out onto the street in front of him. Seated within this circular mound, he set out to peel the potatoes, thus changing the installation's color from a beige to potato-white. Bonafede used the potato peels to stick to the glass, forming a minimal composition of an open mouth with tongue extended in search of food. The "Deep Friar", Karl Jacob, would collect the peeled potatoes as he quoted verses from famous spiritual text and historic literature regarding feeding oneself. The Deep Friar would then chop the potatoes, and deep fry them, and ultimately serve the French Fries to the public in paper boats signed by Bonafede as if they were works of art. The public ate as they read the blurb about the world hunger crisis placing them within the double bind of enjoying the food while being aware of those who have not even a potato to sustain them. What is the dimensions of this installation? Does it stop being art once it goes beyond the glass of the storefront? After it is transformed into edible French Fries? After it is in the stomachs of the audience? Their toilets? The distribution of wealth (ie: food) via food supply systems also knows no boundaries.