Anti-Pandora VI: An Action for the National Academy of Sciences, 2013

Action

At approximately 7:10 pm, September 19, 2013 the artist stood in a darkened hallway of the Keck Center of the National Academy of Sciences, donning gloves, earrings, and back-pack generator, to emerge as Anti-Pandora. From a standing start Anti-Pandora made full-speed run down the hall, boots sounding on the stone floor. She charged into the meeting room and dashed across the stage space in front of the audience. Turning left down an aisle into the audience, she approached a woman in a middle row and halted. Offering her box to the woman, she asked, “Do you want my message?” “No” was the immediate response. Anti-Pandora made a split second scan for another recipient; receiving no signal she darted out the back door and disappeared without delivering a message.

Aftermath

This action occurred three days after a gunman invaded the Washington Navy Yard and killed twelve people. Given the heightened sensitivity of Washington area residents to surprise intruders, and contrary to her custom of refusing to explain the actions, the artist agreed to answer questions afterwards. The second question elicited a reading of the action as an image of missed opportunity.