“Relax… Do Less… Save the Planet… It’s not easy,” so says Billy X. Curmano - as American Idle - in the “The 24-hour Worldwide Rolling Nap”. This, his latest multi-layered performance and environmental statement calls for a paradigm shift to a slower pace. Curmano will attempt to bed down March 19th at 7:33 a.m. Central Daylight Savings Time and awaken with the 2015 Spring Dawn - 7:33 a.m. March 20th.
Naps are personal, but the “How Do You Sleep?” installation will be open for visitation March 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. with a reception March 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Witoka Contemporary, 27979 County Road 17, Winona, MN USA. The elaborate installation demonstrates just how hard the artist finds slowing down. It includes a Bed of Nails with a Pillow and Blanket of Tiny Tacks. The red steel frame bed has 2,395 galvanized steel 3” roofing nails, the canvas blanket 2,766 galvanized steel ½” cut tacks and the pillow boasts 640 black steel ½” cut tacks. Don’t ask about the Teddy Bear or Kevlar pajamas.
Other extended performances from the award-winning artist have included a 40-day Death Valley Desert Fast, a 2,376.4-mile Mississippi River swim and thousands of miles touring on a Greyhound Bus. He’s posted a thought per day without fail since January 1, 2013 about climate disruption to his blog on this site for the “InClimate Project” which is under the auspices of Franklin Furnace (NY). His nap begins with “InClimate Post #808”.
Humans probably do the least damage to the environment when they sleep, but modern society knocks out naps, siestas and free time in exchange for dwindling rewards. If everyone worldwide turned off for just an hour each day for a year, the energy savings could be as much as 623,292,349.6 kWh.
The napping body stays put, but the hours roll around the globe. The Nap Manifesto at www.rollingnap.com invites visitors to join the movement with their own idle stories and images or simply by taking a nap.
“Nonsense wakes up the brain cells.” – Dr. Seuss