Reciting On Kawara

On February 14, 2009, from noon to 2pm, I was honored to participate in a piece called One Million Years by the artist On Kawara at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York.

From the press release: “David Zwirner is pleased to announce a new presentation of On Kawara’s on-going epic work, One Million Years, from January 14 through February 14, 2009. One of the artist’s best known works, it speaks directly to the passage and marking of time. For the first time, the reading of the One Million Years will be recorded live, while visitors can view the process of CD production. Built inside the gallery space is a free standing recording booth, to house both the readers and a sound technician.

CDs will be recorded, edited, and packaged on site. Recordings from the exhibition will be produced in limited edition CD boxed sets. One Million Years is a monumental 20-volume collection, comprised of One Million Years [Past], created in 1969 and containing the years 998,031 B.C. though 1969 A.D., and One Million Years [Future], created in 1981 and containing the years 1996 A.D. to 1,001,995 A.D. Together these volumes make up 2,000,000 years. The subtitle for One Million Years [Past] is “For all those who have lived and died.”

Documenting the passage of chronological time, each leather hardbound volume contains 2,068 photocopied pages. Each volume weighs 8 pounds. 12 editions of [Past] were produced from 1970 to 1971, and 12 editions of [Future] from 1981 to 1998. The first audio presentation of the reading of One Million Years occurred in 1993 in New York. Since then, readings and recordings have taken place in cities around the world, including Dusseldorf, Berlin, London, Paris, Berlin and New York.

It is believed 2,700 CDs will be needed to complete the readings of One Million Years [Past] and One Million Years [Future]. On average, if 27 CDs are produced yearly, the entire project will take 100 years to complete.