The Sacrament of Penance (2023)

Location: Room 163. Hardenbergstr 33, Berlin 
with Sayaka Katsumoto

The Sacrament of Penance is an interactive performance that introduces a new tradition: the artist confessional system. Over the course of three days, in a closet at UdK reminiscent of a confessional booth, artists can confess their sins to specialist artistic priests, including an art consulting company, a Catholic nun, a comedian, and a watercolorist/potter.

Instead of giving verbal prayers as penance, as traditionally practiced in the Catholic confessional, the artistic priests assign meaningful performance-based penances. For example, if a penitent confesses to bullying a colleague, a specialist priest might assign a penance such as writing an apology letter or doing twenty push-ups.

Each priest signs a contract of the Sacramental Seal, obligating them to maintain strict confidentiality regarding every confession received.

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10 Artist Commandments:

1. Your art is your God*. You shall not worship dishonest God.

2. You shall not take the name of your God in vain. 

3. Remember to keep holy your art making. 

4. Honour your colleagues. 

5. You shall not cancel people.  

6. You shall not ladder-climb. 

7. You shall not steal. 

8. You shall not bear false testaments against your colleagues. 

9. You shall not (over)use academic jargon.

10. You shall not think that you are immaculate.

*BB Zheng describes art as monotheism for artists. 

special thanks to Torge Goderstad 

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