The Birth of Baby X

[bodie]

It's a labour of love: Pregnant woman who will give birth on stage

It is perhaps not one for the traditionalists.

A pregnant performance artist is planning to have her baby in an art gallery in front of an audience, as part of a work about childbirth.

Marni Kotak will spend the next five weeks at the Microscope gallery in Bushwick, New York until the baby, her first, comes.

Visitors to the performance called 'The Birth of Baby X' are warned the baby could be born at any moment.

Miss Kotak says that giving birth is the highest form of art.

She told the New York Post: ' I hope that people will see that human life is the most profound work of art, and that therefore giving birth, the greatest expression of life is the highest form of art.

Miss Kotak, 36, who has already staged re-enactments of other real life incidents including her own birth and losing her virginity as part of her art says that she is no more worried about giving birth in public than any mother.

'I have decided to do this because I want to show people that, as in my previous performances, real life is the best performance art,' she said.

'I wouldn’t say that I am scared to do this, because I have a good support team: my midwife, doula and wonderful husband,' she said.

'Of course, I am a bit nervous about the whole process of giving birth and having a child, and like every mother, I am hoping that everything goes smoothly.



'But I am no more worried than I would be if I were having the baby at home or in a hospital.'

Miss Kotak is not sure of the sex of her baby.

The gallery says Kotak is continuing to present 'her life experiences as works of art, works in which she strives to avoid the spectacle often involved in performance art to reach what is real.'

Her next work called 'Raising Baby X' will attempt to turn the act of bringing up a child into art.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046814/Marni-Kotak-Pregnant-performance-artist-birth-stage.html#ixzz1aN83oe6z

Is this really 'ART'?

[eris]

Is this really 'ART'?

Yeah. If harmony korine filming children vomiting on bibles is art, this is certainly art. It actually is meaningful and beautiful. Gross, but art. Sometimes Art is Gross. I think it's kind of beautiful.

[bodie]

I guess people have different perceptions of 'art'.   I think children are
a work of art,  the birth of one, well i am not sure.

I don't have a problem with this performer or what she is doing.  If people
want to go and see it - hey i don't care.

I think sometimes people do things and call it 'art' just to be outrageous.
I am not sure if i would class this as just exhibitionism, and not art.

I have no problem with exhibitionists.

I am confused about what 'art' is?

[eris]

There was an artist, I don't remember his name. He took a piece of a toilet and wrote his name on it. That was art. Someone threw elephant shit at the Virgin Mary and that was art. Some of the sick fuck movies I watch are art.

I was married to an artist, I'm used to this BS :S I loved all my modern art history classes at school and strange film interests me. The elephant shit is beyond my concept, but I wold not denounce its value.

Andy Warhol, Basquiat...now THAT is NOT ART.

[eris]

I guess what I am trying to say is that art is more about concept and passion, and less about value or merit.

['andersom']

I find the new project, the raising of baby X kind of problematic.

Kids do have their right to privacy, even when their parents want to share everything with the world.


Is it art to give birth in public, in a way, yes. When we live in a society where everything is shared with the world via twitter and fb, this is an enlargement of what is happening online. Will make people wonder. Not so different from Cambell's soup Cans, when it comes to that.

['Butterflies']

I can see how the act of childbirth is interesting, and could even be considered a performance. I don't understand the art behind it though. I don't understand moden art. I can understand how a painting, or sculpture, or piece of music is art. I struggle to comprehend modern art at all.

[Phallacy]

Child worship.

Pedophilia.

What's the difference?

['Butterflies']

Child worship.

Pedophilia.

What's the difference?

Lots. Sexual attraction for starters.

Some cultures revere the elderly. I'm guessing they don't want to screw them though.

[midlifeaspie]

Child worship.

Pedophilia.

What's the difference?

Loving your child isn't exactly "worship".  I understand your difficulty grasping the difference as you never experienced the former. 

[Phallacy]

I say if you're going to have a culture of worshiping (not just love, which is beneficial, but worship, which is demeaning) children, then please don't act so fucking surprised when some assholes want to take it "too far". That's all.

[midlifeaspie]

I say if you're going to have a culture of worshiping (not just love, which is beneficial, but worship, which is demeaning) children, then please don't act so fucking surprised when some assholes want to take it "too far". That's all.

Are you upset that nobody tried to take it "too far" when you were a kid?   

[Phallacy]

I say if you're going to have a culture of worshiping (not just love, which is beneficial, but worship, which is demeaning) children, then please don't act so fucking surprised when some assholes want to take it "too far". That's all.

Are you upset that nobody tried to take it "too far" when you were a kid?   

That's irrelevant, since nobody even "tried" period when I was a kid.

Pretty hilarious response, though.

[Parts]

People will pay to see anything.  As for is it art,  you can say just about anything is weather people agree that it is or not is up to them

[Squidusa]

I say if you're going to have a culture of worshiping (not just love, which is beneficial, but worship, which is demeaning) children, then please don't act so fucking surprised when some assholes want to take it "too far". That's all.

Are you upset that nobody tried to take it "too far" when you were a kid?   

That's irrelevant, since nobody even "tried" period when I was a kid.

Pretty hilarious response, though.

Most of your opinions seem to be formed from a want to put down others happiness because you lack it yourself or because they have something you don't.