To re-enact Three Weeks in May (1977), Suzanne Lacy recreated key aspects of the original work but instead focused on where Los Angeles is now, forty years into the anti-rape movement, and included new organizing strategies like social media. As with the original work, the project was the platform for 50 private and public events by activists, educators, media makers, politicians, and artists to address old and new issues, such as rape on college campuses. At the center of this durational performance, a map of Los Angeles was installed in front of the Police Department for daily markings based on the prior day’s rape reports. A nearby bench was the source of a soundtrack of survivors created by Bruno Louchouarn. I Know Someone, Do You was the subject of the social media campaign and, as with the earlier project, events were covered extensively by print and television media. Key performances from the earlier work were re-enact- ed. The project concluded with two performances directed by Lacy: Storying Rape, at the top of City Hall, and Call to Action/Candlelight Vigil, a rally-as-performance that paired spontaneous audience participation with filmed and animated instructions, exploring a range of communication techniques used currently in organizing. 

 

Commissioned for the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time Performance Festival, produced by Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), with sound installation by Bruno Louchouarn. Created in partnership with student and art groups, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, Code Pink, Peace Over Violence and The Rape Treatment Center. 

 

Neda Moridpour was a member of the organizing team; Participated in meetings, organized three Consciousness Raising sessions at Otis College of Art and Design, helped organized a recreation of 'the Myths of rape' a performance by Leslie Labowitz at the Feminist Majority Conference at Cal State Long Beach, organized the final event 'A Forum on Global Violence Against Women' at CalArts. She was also a member of the documentation team and photographed multiple events during her six months envolvement in the project.

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(All photos are courtesy of the artist: Suzanne Lacy.)

 

Suzannelacy.com

threeweeksinjanuary.org

losangelesgoeslive.org/threeweeksinjanuary