Walking Phoenix
WALKING PHOENIX is an ongoing project that nods at the similarity between the proper noun “Joaquin” and the adjective “walking”. The project highlights this through several works in print and film showing select sequences in which Joaquin Phoenix is walking in various motion pictures, including: “Her”, “The Master”, “Walk the Line”, “Inherent Vice”, “Two Lovers”, “Gladiator”, “Signs”, “The Immigrant”, “The Village”, and “I’m Still Here.” The project has since been shown twice, at an exhibition that originally took place October 8—October 29, 2015 at XXXI and on March 6, 2018 at the Walker Cinema. In each instance of the performance, we ask Joaquin to walk in person to complete the piece.
We invited Joaquin to walk by XXXI on Thursday, October 29 between 4 and 7pm, by sending his agent a pair of Chuck Taylors with the gallery address embroidered on the back of them, and a personal letter. During this time, visitors were invited to sit in the gallery, look outwards towards the street, and wait to see if Joaquin walked. He did not. This performance concluded the exhibition.
In 2018, we once again invited Joaquin to walk at the Walker Art Center on Tuesday, March 6th at 7:27pm, during PLAYLAB, INC's Insights lecture. Each audience member was given a newsprint to mark the occasion and whether he walked. He did not walk.
