Spirit Happening

The Spirit Happening began with my curiosity in two historic (and seemingly distinct) movements: Spiritualism and Happenings. The event centered around a séance lead by the Spiritualist Betsy Cohen and a shamanistic ritual performed by Amanda Capobianco. As a medium, Betsy was able to communicate with spirits of the dead present in the building where the event took place. I asked a group of artists to enter into, disrupt or engage in this charged space in whatever way they felt compelled. Although I had predetermined the sequence of actions, the element of chance, a core tenet of the early 60s Happenings, was an essential part of the project. By inviting spirits into the performance, I hoped that there would be an opening where anything might occur. Two weeks before the performance, Hurricane Sandy hit. The neighborhood of Red Hook, on the Brooklyn waterfront, was inundated. Pioneer Works, the enormous former warehouse (now an art space), was flooded and lost power. The owner, artist Dustin Yellin, generously encouraged us to continue with the project. It was a cold night when we gathered together off the electrical grid and without heat. There were about 80 people in attendance.

The piece was conceived of in the course of my research and developed through conversations with Emily Izakowitz, Claire Typaldos and Ashley May who produced the event (Claire and Ashley also participated as artists). I began attending seances in New York City which eventually led me to meet Betsy Cohen. The performance began at the entrance to the building. People were greeted one by one and guided gently in silence up a concrete stairwell to the top floor of the old warehouse where Sonia Kreitzer (aka Dos Paoro) was singing a Tibetan Opera. Once the crowd had been seated in a large circle, Ashley May lit a candle sculpture which she had constructed out of votive and birthday candles, and other discarded pieces of wax. Amanda Capobianco and her partner led us in a ceremony, greeting the four corners with chanting and drums. The artists Megha Barnabas mesmerized the group with a performance based on the tradition of snake charming. Using her voice and body she appeared to be channeling something or someone beyond. Betsy Cohen stood in the center of the room and called to spirits present in the building, conveying their messages to us. At the close of the performance we watched Claire Typaldos’s video of a flickering moon while the sound of Shaun Krupa and Frank Lyon’s music was heard coming from a large empty space far below; sounds of drumming and electric guitar (powered by a generator). Everyone was given a free copy of Raphael Griswold’s minimalist zine with rubbings he made of urban “portals.”

Spirit Happening

November 10th, 2012, 2 hours

Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY

Concept and direction by Sidney Russell

Developed in collaboration with, and produced by Emily Izakowitz,

Claire Typaldos and Ashley May

Ceremonies by Betsy Cohen and Amanda Capobianco (with partner)

Performances by Megha Barnabas, Shaun Krupa + Frank Lyon, and Sonia Kreitzer

Light sculpture by Ashley May

Video artwork and graphic design by Claire Typaldos

Zine by Raphael Griswold

Photography by Katy Porter

Thanks to Dustin Yellin and Gabriel Florenz for supporting this project and making it possible.