WHAT WILL HAVE BEEN

Performance; The City College of New York (New York, NY).

What Will Have Been uses closed-circuit video projection, automatic writing, and drag to investigate the queer lineages of uniquely American religious traditions that originated in upstate New York in the 19th century. Drawing parallels between Mormonism and Spiritualism into the frame of queer exhibition theory, the project positions durational performance as a medium through which to channel the specters of the past. Jack Halberstam says, “To tell a ghost story means being willing to be haunted.” This invitation is extended by a seated figure in a dimly lit space with pen, ink, and a book, The Doctrine and Covenants, a primary text in the Mormon faith. The figure methodically thumbs through the volume picking out passages and using a combination of automatic writing and bibliomancy to form new scripture, challenging the supremacy of religious texts. A closed-circuit video of the live writing process is projected on the gallery walls during the eight hour intervals when the performer is present.