EVENTS > KITE FESTIVAL
Performance class pays homage to SAIC kite festival
Mark Jeffery’s “Performing the Rural” performance class pose with their kites and masks on the steps of the Art Institute (Madison Mae Parker/ Performing the Rural TA)
“In 1957 SAIC hosted a kite festival where students created kites and paraded them out of the steps of the museum to Grant park, where they flew their kites they had made in the classroom with their faculty. I would like us all to fly our kites, to be outdoors, wearing our masks, to connect to nature, to see the sky, to see an attempt at us all flying our kites in our locations of where we are currently living.”
Mark Jeffery, Performing the Rural 2023
Skye Weimann prepares their kite for its inaugural flight
On October 23rd, 2023, Performing the Rural, a performance class at School of the Art Institute of Chicago led by Mark Jeffrey and TA’d by Maddison Parker, took to the skies…in their own way. Inspired by a kite festival that SAIC had held in 1957 and having found success in holding one the year prior, Mark Jeffrey tasked his students to create kites and masks that served as representations of their work and practice for a midterm kite festival. Initially intending the kites to be sky worthy he instructed his class to sketch their pieces and informed them on ways to build the tethers and anchors. However, ever the performance artists, his students decided to take the terminology of “flight” in their own way with kites ranging from porcelain ‘paper’ airplanes to a small collection of helium balloons.
Eros C Backus peacefully sits with his mask and pieces strewn about him
By EROS C BACKUS | eroscbackus@gmail.com | three porcelain ‘paper’ airplanes, mask made of found fabric (checkered chef pants that had a irreversible stain), red ribbon, three pairs of swivel wheels
Originally Made: October 22nd, 2023
Mark Jeffrey performs with Eros C Backus’ kite and mask
What ensued was a joyous celebration of the performers' work, students switched kites and masks and were encouraged to perform with them in whatever ways made sense, or for a matter of fact, didn’t make sense. Not too stuck on the fact most of the kites would not stay airborne, students (and Mark) danced, ran, threw, and sang with each other's pieces till sufficiently tired out.
Eros’ porcelain ‘paper’ airplanes in ‘flight’
