LOCATION: Glass case in front of Noonan Antiques, 551 Warren Street

VIEWABLE: 24 hours a day

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: "VIVARIUM"

Vivarium is a site-specific video installation located in front of Noonan Antiques in Hudson, NY. Utilizing the aquarium-like case in front of the antique store, the video presents the artist as a male mermaid inside a bathtub. The video examines issues of masculine identity while also subjecting the artist’s self to the abject – yet slapstick – act of being bathed by two men dressed as doctors. This video will be displayed inside the antique glass case, along with casts of aquarium tchotchkes, faux-antique objects, and images printed on domestic houseware.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

In his video work, still photography and performances, Brian Zanisnik mines personal history and his relationships with his family to reflect on broader socio-political issues including interpersonal communication, masculine identity, and violence. For recent works, Zanisnik researched, examined, and created performances based on a family legend involving his great-grandfather who was said to have wrestled and killed a wolf in his native Ukraine to save the children of the Czar. Zanisnik was born and raised in New Jersey and now lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a BA in Art History from Drew University, NJ and is an MFA candidate in Combined Media at Hunter College New York. His work has been exhibited at institutions including the museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University; Exit Art, New York; and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, New York. In 2007, he was awarded an Art Omi International Artists Residency.

Artist website: www.zanisnik.com