overview
phlo·gis·ton /flōˈjistən/ noun: a substance supposed by 18th-century chemists to exist in all combustible bodies, and to be released in combustion. A proposed element, falsely believed to be catalyst for all combustion. This performance was my attempt to (falsely) generate heat.
Part I. The campfire shown in the video was reverse engineered from pine lumber, carved and rendered to appear as freshly cut wood, placing the fire between states of authenticity and simulation.
Part II. I prepared 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 fire died down.
