2009
3 vials of stone and wood; audio (23 minutes)

“For you were within me, and I was outside myself; and it was there that I sought you.”
-Saint Augustine (Confessions, Book 10 Chapter 27)

THE ACT:
After entering the church,
chisel off a piece of stone from the building and wood from a pew.
Place both in a corked vial.
Kneel on the pew and insert the vial.
Masturbate until reaching orgasm.


Preliminary Information:
These recordings document an act repeated in three churches* in Venice last July.
While in Italy, I downloaded Skype for the first time so that I could talk about these experiences with my oldest friend, Sam. It was not until after leaving Italy that I came across a folder of audio files on my computer – I had unknowingly downloaded a patch with Skype that recorded and archived all conversations. We were not aware we were being taped.
These talks have been integrated as part of the documentation.


*Madonna dell’Orto (Cannaregio), Santa Maria Del Rosario (Dorsoduro) & Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Torcello)