What makes an object valuable? We think of precious objects as ones that are rare or difficult to acquire, fragile or fleeting, old or ancient, laborious to construct or masterful to render. All these reasons makes sense to some degree, but some objects are given value because of their proximity to the exceptional – because they were owned, used, or somehow in the presence of greatness. If you’ve ever seen Antiques Roadshow you know that an object is more valuable if it has established Provenance – documentation or proof of authenticity, origin, chronology of ownership, or historical significance.

Defibrillator presents this exhibition out of curiosity for the notion of value. How might Provenance apply to relics or artifacts once used in works of Performance Art? Can we [through shared experience] manufacture value for seemingly worthless objects? This exhibition is an attempt to answer these questions through modes of display and documentation.

Defibrillator is celebrating our seventh anniversary. Since 2010 we’ve been collecting objects and ephemera from performances that we’ve produced. Organized, Stored, and documented, this growing collection of strange objects has become a focus for our organization. This exhibition, Provenance, is an invaluable opportunity for experimentation and creative exploration looking at the relationships between object, value, documentation, and display.

Art NXT Level on the fourth floor of the Zhou B Art Center is a Chicago based art gallery with over ten years experience presenting solo and group projects from national and international artists. Sergio Gomez is Director of Art NXT Level Projects, Director of Exhibitions at Zhou B Art Center, founder of Amplified Art Network, co-founder of Art NXT Level®, contributor for Italia Arte Magazine, and faculty in the Art/Design Department at South Suburban College. NXT Level Projects is an extension of the Art NXT Level® Strategic Group. [www.33contemporary.com]

Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery [DFBRL8R or dfb] is an international platform for Performance Art. Brave and thoughtful programming of live art aims to stimulate discourse surrounding underrepresented voices and time-based practices. A non-profit 501c3 charitable arts organization, DFBRL8R is dedicated to fostering local talent while invigorating Chicago with artists of exceptional calibre from around the world. Championing ephemeral art that looks to the live body in concert and conversation with time, space, object, architecture, and society, Defibrillator succeeds at cultivating an enthusiastic and dedicated international community who is knowledgeable and appreciative of Performance Art. [www.DFBRL8R.org]

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Tags: Art NXT Level, Bridgeport, Chicago, Defibrillator Gallery, dfb, Dfbrl8r, Illinois, Provenance: A Performance Art Object Exhibition, zhou b art center