Special Thanks To:

Natosha Via – Photography

Martin French – Light Control

KMAC Museum and Moremen Gallery

How I Learned To Keep The Flowers

• Walk up to nightstand and pour Everclear into one of two shot glasses.

• Next pour Everclear into a plate.

• Over the course of an hour, proceed repetitively to get out of bed to alarms and water a flower bed with 3 watering cans.

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  A bit in, the alarms will turn into audios consisting of ICE raids, suicide calls, people jumping to their deaths, bombs, film clips, religious songs that suddenly turn into school shooting footage, hidden recordings of Brennen’s personal conflicts and confession, alcoholism, business hostility such as constructive dismissal, racism, criticisms of Louisville, drug abuse, car accidents, sexual assault, humiliation, sexism, deforestation, money, crying animals, police sirens, and so on.

• Once the alarms change to the above audio, Brennen will proceed to cut a flower into his chest and abdomen with razor blades. This action will be included in his repetitions between watering and returning to bed for the next alarm.

Click to enlarge.

• The performance ends with the final alarm referencing the movie ending to Cabaret. Brennen proceeds to kick watering cans towards the audience, throw a shot glass on the ground, and throw dirt around. He pours another shot of Everclear, drags a blanket in the other hand, and then kneels in the flower bed.

• “Auf Wiedersehen… à bientôt…” is sung by Brennen in the alarm recording. He pours the shot onto his chest. The alarm turns to drums and drone rumbles. He throws the shot glass behind him. Brennen proceeds to get dressed, bandage the wound, grab his phone, and bag. He leaves the audience alone as the audio from the alarm cuts in and out on the speaker.

• The majority of audience sits for 5 minutes in silence, some clapping, some mumbling, eventually people start dispersing. While that is happening, Brennen is walking an 1hr 30min back to his home in Clifton.

Artist Production Comments:

“One of the most violent objects on the planet is our phone. We can risk it becoming an extension of us that can impact our mental health. We also consume so many awful things through our phones, news updates, artificial light, influencers giving viewers insecurity, breakup texts, and so on.”

“I think the DIY is more important than ever nowadays. You can do more. This was a rare opportunity to take control and perform in a commercial gallery setting. Events like this are often rejected and censored by galleries and institutions so artists move to alternative and underground spaces.”

“It’s a violent world out there. Especially now. And these are times to be making art that is bonkers!”