The Philosopher is Present: Life as Mystery
"The Philosopher Is Present: Life as Mystery" is a performance intending to evoke mystery. Silence gestures toward ineffable presence while two strangers' voices speaking into each other's inclined ears suggests reverence. In this performance, durational art is woven together with the Socratic question and the Zen sense of mystery.
How is this to be? The philosopher is seated on the ground in one place. Around him is a circle of guests. The first guest approaches the philosopher, sits down in front of him. Both have their eyes closed. They begin in silence, and out of the silence there comes a question. The guest says what she believes to be true, her answer as concise as possible. Neither knows what the other will say or what will occur or when the performance will end. Time falls away, and could a glimpse of the mystery of existence be disclosed to them? The guest opens her eyes and leaves, and, moments later, another comes and sits down in front of the screen. They are blindfolded. They begin in silence, and out of the silence there comes a question...
Bio: Andrew is a practical philosopher and philosophical artist who teaches individuals how to inquire into the things that matter most. Years ago after finishing a Ph.D., he created a philosophy practice in which he speaks daily over Skype with entrepreneurs, business executives, artists, the ecologically-minded, and seekers about the nature of a good life. In his publicly-staged performance art, he seeks to awaken us to the mystery of existence.
