Agitpuke

This Saturday (11/25) 40000 is implementing the second installment of its interim project called “betwixt.” It is “created to enhance the gallery-going experience and to explore beyond the boundaries of the sometimes staid contemporary visual art scene.” 40000BETWIXT this time around is Philip von Zweck’s Vomitorium With Agitprop. It is about purging and expelling various notions of our overconsumption, the show is in time with the massive purging of the House and the Senate. But also the gorging on foodstuffs followed by “Black Friday” sales beginning earlier than ever this year. “Half of the artists contribute 'traditional' artworks – paintings, drawings and sculpture – while the other half supply hand-made inducers and receptacles that might be found in a contemporary version of a Vomitorium.” (Quoting the press release)

So what is a vomitorium anyway? We were familiar with the story that in Ancient Rome, at huge feasts, there were niches off the main banquet halls where guests could go to throw up when they’d had their fill, sort of like an outhouse. But scholars on the subject say those didn’t exist, but there is evidence from frescoes that people just turned away from the table and threw up. Possibly into bowls held by servents. von Zweck has said he thought it refered to the ancient theaters, and that the exits on either side were the vomitoriums. Again, let us look to the ever-wise Wikipedia for all our answers:

A popular misconception is that the Romans made use of a room called a vomitorium for the express purpose of vomiting between meals to make room for more food. Only a very small minority of the highest classes indulged in the practice of deliberately vomiting. A vomitorium is actually an entirely unrelated architectural feature – a passage situated below or behind a tier of seats in an amphitheatre, through which the crowds could "spew out" at the end of a show.

Godammit Philip von Zweck being right all the time.

Visiting the in-depth feature on Roman Cuisine is highly recommended. Wikitorium

So if you feel like binging and purging, head over to 40000 on 11/25/6
Gallery Hours 11A – 6P
Party *ahem* event 7P – 12MIDNIGHT
>>VISIT 40000

Von Zweck is also runs an art space of his own. The current show of Guggenheim Fellow Tony Tasset is causing people to stand up and take notice.
VISIT VONZWECK

Participating artist Paul Nudd, has this to say:

Happy Spanksgiving everyone... I have a butt-load of new drawings up at a one-day-only show this saturday ... also includes a new group of collages dedicated to soon-to-be former speaker of the house j. dennis hastert (plus bio-terror, dirty turkey bombs, terry schiavo, force feeding, tubed meats, mad cow, obesity, bovine growth hormone, turkey the bird and Turkey the nation, greed, gluttony, corruption, partial births, stem cell research, etc.)

oh yeah, dropping off work I saw a bourbon fountain and a functional beer bong made out of meat so that will be worth it alone.