The Artist is Underground, 2015
Sonja Backovic
Serbia, 1946
dirt, plastic, artist
In this terrifying but extraordinary work, experimental performance artist Sonja Backovic has moved into a small coffin-like space 6 feet underground for three cold months. As her image grows through mass media and Backovic becomes an increasingly recognized name, she is progressively aware of her past experiences and wants to ensure they’re not forgotten in the wake of her newfound ‘celebrity’ status. This has led her to explore the idea of worship. She wishes to regain an intimate relationship with individual audience members and strip the altar from beneath her work, hence the indifferent and elusive position of her space.