SPD was closed Wednesday in solidarity w/ the General Strike. Rather than joining the Million Message March I decided to check out the Kurt Schwitters: Color And Collage exhibit over at the Berkeley Art Museum.

MERZbau reconstruction at BAM from Mona Caron on Vimeo.

Here's a video of the reconstruction of the Merzbau at BAM.

Collage work spanning 1923-47 filled out the rest of the show. I was literally the only person at both the Merzbau (basement level) and the Collage And Color exhibits (6th floor). It was a fantastic way to experience the show: quiet, meandering from piece to piece, close up, an immersive afternoon. Is the BAM always that empty? And only $10, definitely looking forward to future shows. Can't say I was particularly drawn to any of the collage pieces, muted gauzey colors schemes, abstract geometric arrangement, found bric a brac. The lineage is very much on display though, and that was interesting to me, what Schwitters presaged. Kurt Schwitters Color And Collage runs until Nov. 27th.

So downstairs to find a restroom, turn a corner and run into a Theresa Hak Kyung Cha display; her 1975 video Mouth To Mouth running on loop with 2 copies of Dictee wire-bound to a table display.

On the table was a piece of paper outlining a lesson plan based on the video

"What does the title Mouth to Mouth evoke?

How does the close-up disorient as well as focus you?

What about the video static, or "snow--what expressive purpose might it have?"

Why do you think Cha chose the sound of running water for parts of the soundtrack (instead of a voice, or music, or silence)?

What kind of mood or feeling does Mouth To Mouth evoke in you?

Why do you think Cha chose the medium of video?

What do you think of this kind of art that leaves so much to your imagination, to your own interpretation? (Cha thought of her audience--you!--as completing her art)"

All in all a great afternoon, went home and boxed for an hour, watched the coverage of the Port Of Oakland protests, recognized a few faces on TV (been happening a lot lately, makes you feel like the world revolves around your small social circle, i.e., paranoia), read Allen Ginsberg's Composed On The Tongue for a couple hours, went to bed and had a fraught dream about rollerblading, woke up, poured cofeee, turned on the TV to reports that a bunch of Occuposeurs had rioted throughout Downtown Oakland the night before. Thought, WAY TO GO, BRAVO, WELL DONE! The Whole World Is Watching (...us intimidate small business owners). Todos Somos WHATEVER!