Basil AlZeri
Toronto, Canada
The Free Shop will challenge traditional notions of home, living archives, sense of belonging and most importantly emotional and materialistic attachment. The Free Shop is an interactive project that relies on both the structure of the installation and the artist's presence at the site at all times in order to facilitate the process. The quotidian transaction at The Free Shop is quite unique as it does not resemble typical daily transactions.
On January 6, 2010, the artist lost nearly half of everything he owned, created and was given in a house fire. These events led him to question how attached we as a society are to material goods and how often we take things for granted and prompted him to challenge others to reflect on similar questions.
The artist's belongings that survived the fire will be on display in The Free Shop alongside all the new items he's acquired since the fire for the public to examine, choose from and take. Each visitor-customer from the public is welcome to examine "the products and personal items", to ask questions and choose one item they believe they have the need for.
Basil AlZeri is a multidisciplinary artist who works in performance and interactive art forms. AlZeri's performance/installation pieces were shown with CCP - Winnipeg, (2011), Performancar O Morir festival in Mexico, (2011). He attended START House/residency in Amman, Jordan, (2010). AlZeri is an art educator and an art community worker.
www.basilalzeri.tumblr.com
Photography by Chris Shepherd
The Free Shop, 2011,
Installation, Performance Art
[ selected photographs ]
[ video ]
C15 - TTC Bus Shelter
Bay Street, south of King Street West
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