Performer begins at a bus station, preferrably in a suburban regional area, and re-enacts the first station of the cross ie Christ's condemnation by Pilate. One or two assistants help to prepare costumes and props and stand in for supporting characters ie Mary, Pilate, the women of Jerusalem etc.
Performers must then travel on a series of buses in costume and in character to 13 other bus station foyers on a pre determined route, re-enacting each of the other 13 stations of the cross - ie the wiping of Christ's face by Veronica, the crucifixion, the presentation of the body to Mary etc.
After the final burial re-enactment(station 14), there is a resurrection sequence that takes place in the art gallery at the final bus station destination - eg the performance begins in rural NSW and finishes at a bus stop outside a gallery in Sydney on opening night. This could also correspond with a period during Easter.
The performance and onlooker's reactions are to be documented by video and still photography and the results of which would be displayed at the gallery. A period of time would be needed between the last station and the opening/resurrection performance to edit and print/frame the documentation.
This performance recontextualises the role of Christianity within contemporary society. By juxtaposing the sacred series of events surrounding Jesus' condemnation, transportation of the cross and resulting crucifixion - with the banality of modern bus travel and bus environment - the role of religion and devotion in non religious spaces is explored and critiqued.-- benfrost, Dec 08 2004 14 stations of the cross list http://mb-soft.com/...ve/txs/stations.htm [benfrost, Dec 08 2004] If there's one thing this country needs, it's more people nailed to things.-- Detly, Dec 08 2004 We don't have a Woderwick, or a Woger, to wewease.-- ConsulFlaminicus, Dec 08 2004 + not gonna go there-- dentworth, Dec 08 2004 Well the last sentence made me laugh so a bun for ben. Bus services are clearly more reliable in Australia than they are here if you think that there is any chance whatsoever of catching 13 buses in a row, get to the gallery on time and develop and print the photos and hang them in the gallery before the (undoubtedly vast) crowds come pouring in.-- DrBob, Dec 08 2004 if you are doing a living stations of the cross, as i'm sure many people have already, why have the stations so far away that you need a bus?
this reminds me of a drive through nativity that my sister went to.-- -wess, Dec 08 2004 I'm not generally a fan of performance proselytizing, but these seems kind of fun.-- shapu, Dec 08 2004 Cross-town busses?-- FarmerJohn, Dec 08 2004 i could attempt to turn all the sodas in the vending machine into wine.-- benfrost, Dec 09 2004 [+] love the last paragraph.-- moomintroll, Dec 09 2004 This is actually quite good [benfrost]. Not as funny as your usual filth, but good. [+]
PS I presume you're taking the piss a bit here, but I still think this comes reasonably under the title of "Art".-- wagster, Dec 09 2004 //i could attempt to turn all the sodas in the vending machine into wine.// Hmmm... I guess this could be done using grape soda and a bit of wine yeast. Certainly wouldn't be a good wine (or technically a wine at all, never having contained real grape juice), but I'm unaware of biblical refrences to a fine cabernet.-- Worldgineer, Dec 10 2004 It is important that sequential bus stops or transit stations tell a story.
Naming new LRT stations is now high art.-- mensmaximus, Dec 10 2004 Shouldn't this be called Mass transportation?-- joeforker, Jul 14 2005 Crucification comes to mind naturally on transit in some places, like Calgary.
I want to vote for joe's "Mass transportation" as the name.-- Dilettante, Mar 05 2008 random, halfbakery