Brace yourselves, dear readers, it’s art news time. Today we marvel at the searing brilliance of the French performance artist Abraham Poincheval, who, as I type, resides in the belly of a bear. Or rather, in the hollowed-out carcass of a bear, one that’s currently situated in the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris. Mr Poincheval is, we’re told, re-enacting “a powerful sensitivity” and “profound symbolism,” one that “still grips the Western world’s imagination today.” It’s a “communion” that will “inevitably bring him to a state of profound meditation.” He’s “confounding the boundaries between man and animal.” How so, you ask?
Just like the mammal during the winter months, Poincheval remains within a small enclosure, keeping with him all the basic things he might need to survive throughout the weeks spent inside; food, water, activities and even a place to relieve himself… By residing within the species, Poincheval aims to understand his own physical limits and experience animal nature, a symbolic image of the ‘inside out’ of a bear during hibernation.
Mr Poincheval began his immense artistic feat on April 1 and hopes to make it through two weeks of, um, “residing within the species” and “experiencing animal nature,” albeit with pillows and electric lighting, amenities and distractions, and a kettle on hand. There is, of course, a live feed for the benefit of aesthetes unable to make it to Paris.
I urge you to tune in. It’s gripping stuff.
That’s amazing! He’s just lying there! Ohhh, he just yawned! Where do I send money? #hero
It’s a “communion” that will “inevitably bring him to a state of profound meditation.”
I’m watching a man picking his nose inside a dead bear. I didn’t see that coming when I got up this morning.
Anna, he’s stopped picking his nose now and picked up a book. No, he’s put it down again. I think he’s talking to some visitors.
This is the best thing ever.
I’m watching a man picking his nose inside a dead bear. I didn’t see that coming when I got up this morning.
Hey, I’m just trying to elevate the tone round here. Class the place up a bit.
So… when does the art happen?
It’s happening now. Can’t you SEE?
What are the scissors for? I’ve got to run to the washroom, can someone let me know if he uses the scissors?
If he really wants to confound “the boundaries between man and animal”, perhaps he can go up to the arctic. There he can experience bears from the inside and at the same time help feed the poor species.
I’m hoping that the bears would not think that his art was in bad taste.
It’s happening now. Can’t you SEE?
Do I have to sit and watch him for another 4 days? If I set up a web cam would *that* be art too?
Do I have to sit and watch him for another 4 days? If I set up a web cam would *that* be art too?
Are you inside a dead bear at the moment? Because that’s what makes it art.
Darwin Award winner. Blood clots, lost muscle mass and osteoporosis on the agenda unless this artistic genius gets up and walks around every hour or so.
Be a shame if the world were deprived of his contribution so young.
If he REALLY wants to “commune” with Bears why doesn’t he go live with them so he can be eaten and then TRULY “commune” with the Bear inside a live one’s stomach? (Old Red Skelton ditty: “While walking in the woods one day Algee saw a Bear; the Bear saw Algee. The Bear was bulgy ; the bulge was Algee.”)
I agree with EarlW, Abraham Poincheval is second-rate. Timothy Treadwell got inside a live bear.
What did the bear do to earn this? And why isn’t it a rug by now?
He began this on April 1st, you say?
Okay. I think what he’s done here.
I don’t think you heathens appreciate the immensity and seriousness of Mr Poincheval’s talent.
This is just his way of endeavoring to fully appreciate the Russian point of view. You know, … for fairness.
Worst. Porn. Ever.
I must have picked the absolutely worse time to check on the live feed, or possibly the best, who am I to judge. I can now definitively answer the question:
“Does a man shat inside a bear?”
Didn’t I see this already in The Empire Strikes Back?
Didn’t I see this already in The Empire Strikes Back?
Luke Skywalker took a dump inside the butchered tauntaun? Wow, sounds a bit edgy. Was that in the director’s cut?
Was that in the director’s cut?
The Christmas Special, I think.
I fear we’ve started a thread that’s terrifying in its possibilities.
I fear we’ve started a thread that’s terrifying in its possibilities.
Oh, don’t worry about being able to bear it, David, I’m sure we all have the guts for the resulting stuffed body of the text . . . or would that be body of stuffed text?
Hey, no dissing the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature! It’s my favourite place in Paris!
He’s now blocked the camera with a bag or something. Perhaps his bishop is taking a beating. Steve2 call your office.
Hey, no dissing the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature! It’s my favourite place in Paris!
And now we can see why. It’s your passion for French performance art, isn’t it?
He scratches a lot.
Anna, he’s stopped picking his nose now and picked up a book. No, he’s put it down again. I think he’s talking to some visitors.
It looks like Tess of the d’Urbervilles all over again.
I don’t think you heathens appreciate the immensity and seriousness of Mr Poincheval’s talent.
Which is getting people to accept bollocks as art.
That puts him up there with the tailors who made the Emperor that magnificent new suit of clothes.
At some point you gotta hand it to these people: they’ve found that a sucker really IS born every minute, and his eagerness to be suckered doesn’t seem to wane with the passing of time.
It looks like Tess of the d’Urbervilles all over again.
(golf clap)
It’s like a really bad episode of Big Brother.
Now he’s sleeping. He should close his legs.
By coalescing his installation around many different traditions of meta-performance, body and bodyspace art, and the true esprit of postmodern intersectionality, Poincheval puts himself inside of a bear, inside of a concept, and inside the heads of onlookers.
‘Where do my boundaries begin, and his boundaries end?’ said a male attendee…’what does nature even mean anymore?’
‘I smelt an unbearably strong odor,’ said another ‘…of bad taxidermy, Gauloises and Camembert’
‘Mommy, how did they get that smelly Frenchman inside that moldy bear?’
Don’t miss this one, folks.
I wasn’t expecting much, but it’s still a disappointment. Couldn’t he have at least put on an furry type bear costume and lived in a cave for however long he’s planning to do this? He’s not so much closer to nature as he his to a return to the womb.
Anyone know why he has power strips in there?
PS: I can’t help but observe that despite his seemingly sincere desire to “get back to nature he is using a plethora of hated modern soul-destroying mechanical and electrical devices–all products of the hated capitalist industrial system. So much for “keeping it real..”
Forget it, Dave. It’s the Arts.
Ps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTwxiKMWCkg
you guys are fantastic. who let me in here?
We are all Abraham Poinceval.
Poincheval. You must have joined the wrong line.