OCULARPATION: WALL STREET
photos taken from performance in San Francisco, link for a video of perfromance
www.zefrey.com
The most famous street in America - Wall Street... the grand chameleon.
To some it is a shimmering boulevard where fortune is won and the American dream is played out in
real life, where bootstraps can join the titans of history in ruling the economy. To others Wall
street is the gleaming ruby in the crown of capitalism, showing that consumerism and democracy work
hand in hand. To still others Wall Street is the epitome of what has gone wrong with the United
States, unchecked greed run rampant within the nation that birthed it. At the very least Wall Street
is the most controversial and widely debated street in the US, but how much is actually known about
this thin strip of cobblestone that stretches but a few blocks? Who actually works on Wall Street?
Everyone has heard of the CEOs and board members that have been so prominent in the news recently,
but that is only a slim fraction of the population that makes this machine run. What of the day
traders, mail delivery, janitors, assistants, hot-dog sales, tour guides and personal trainers?
These elements are just as integral to the streamlined motion of Wall Street as any other.
Ocularpation is a contraction of the word "ocular", which resonates in the visual nature of what it means to see and be seen and with "occupation", which has it's root in both the military notion of occupying a space, as well as what someone does for their living. It is an exploration of modern labor extended ad absurdum. A Freudian nightmare played out in nonchalant detail amongst the morning rush hour of gray suits and navy dresses. It blends the overt insanity of being naked amongst strangers, with the subtle psychosis of the 8 hour digital void.
"Ocularpation: Wall Street" is a two phase project - The first portion is a study of the actual demographics of who works on Wall Street which will provide a portrait of this financial center. The second half consists of a large-scale performance which will take place on Wall Street. Using 50 people as a representative cross sample, they will be assigned roles based on the statistical information. Each performer will study the role and daily actions of their real life counterpart and create a routine based upon this information. This culminates in a performance Monday morning, 7am, 50 people, 5 minutes, all of Wall Street... exposed.