instructions

PLEASE READ THIS: – It is incredibly important that we be there on time at 5pm. This is a 5 minute mob.

Remain inconspicuous until 5pm and gracious throughout the event.

So please try to make it there at 5pm AT THE LATEST. Again, PLEASE do not be late.

- The musicians will be there just before 5pm. Look for them (or follow the music) as they will determine the position of the mob. – The format of the music will be this: Cello starts solo. Flute and guitar come in for the main part. Cello ends solo. THIS MEANS that when the cello is solo at the end, LEAVE!

The flutist and the guitarist will pack up and leave, so leave with them. The cellist will continue to play after everyone is gone. – don’t. be. late.

I fell down in a burning ring of fire

Last night at the Local, a group of folks discussed forgiveness: Does forgiveness cheapen or deconstruct justice? Does justice require and therefore make forgiveness the new law? Does anyone have the right to ask for or incite another to forgive them? We listed our fears, our false egos, our broken relationships… We asked Missy our bartender what the church needed to confess, and we wrote down deceitfulness, pride, arrogance, finger pointing… Then we burnt them and the confessions of many from all over the city…

After the burning we went inside to settle our check and a few guys from the bar ran out and stole the cans and drove off with them:) fortunately we can make more ash for today’s ritual! If you want to make your own to bring simply:

1. set fire to something (preferably not plastic or a domicile)

2. wait for it to burn out.

3. add some olive oil (single pressed extra virgin is the best)

4. stir

‘And whallah you have ashes for the imposition of ashes today at 5pm!

What is FLASHrequiem?

On Ash Wednesday, at exactly 5pm in the five points MARTA station, out of now where, a chamber quartet will emerge to perform a five minute Requiem and the public will be invited to mark each other with ashes. And then we will disappear back into the woodwork. You are the public… come be a part of making grace happen.

Some Background:
For almost 15 centuries Christendom has marked the first of 40 days up to Easter with Ash Wednesday- a ritual of absolution enacting the death of all that is broken, evil, or self-sabotaging. The composition of the Requiem is a modern evolution of this act- performing shared grief over death. And for a century, Artists from the situationist movement in the 60s, and 80s have deconstructed public space by performing spontaneous narrative-events. Recently these performance art events have evolved with social media into FlashMobs- where folks coalesce upon public space- perform a shared ritual or “act” and then disappear back into the society.

In an effort to deconstruct Christendom some Atlanta artists are mashing up the “Flash Mob” with the “Ash Wednesday Requiem.” The viral, open source nature of this project is entirely up to YOU. You are the art. So spread the word, ride MARTA from work in time to be there at 5. Be yourself, or dress as whomever you want to be.

Between now and then:

Look in coffee shops and bars in the Atlanta area for cans to “Submit Your Sin.” Write down any fears, your false-self-images, your self-sabotaging habits that you want to ritually destroy. You can also submit them anonymously in the blog below. Watch this blog for images of the burning of these anonymous submissions (and erasing of the blog) on Fat Tuesday.

Help spread the word.

Come customize this spontaneous ritual.

Be the art.

Help make Grace Happen.