phlogiston

video installation, performance Phlogistan was a proposed element, falsely believed to be catalyst for all combustion. This performance was my attempt to generate heat, through its visceral experience as well as an act of generosity. Part I. The campfire shown in the video was made from treated pine, carved and rendered ("reverse engineered") to appear as freshly cut wood, placing the fire between states of authenticity (as it did produce warmth) and simulation (as it takes on only the facade of a primitive campfire, and exists now in the digital). Part II. I prepared a warmth offering, a tea made from ginger (a traditionally, and conceptually "hot" food in Chinese culture), by slicing the root with a knife made from the same pine, and offered it to any willing participant. The ineffective tool dulled as the performance persisted as the false campfire died down.