TOKEN CITY RECEPTION

For the duration of the opening, Ellsworth wore
a dress soaked in her own urine for seven days
prior to the event. The dress was hung out to
dry on the seventh day. While wearing the cocktail
dress she cooled herself with an accessory hand
fan which was stenciled with the word "actual" on
one side and "odor" on the other. Ellsworth mingled
casually with other exhibition viewers and for long
periods of time she sat quietly fanning herself in
the close quartered projection space of Token City, the computer generated subway installation. Other times she positioned herself under hot spot lights in order to generate more heat from her body for utmost odor.
Exhibition visitors clearly caught whiffs of her dress
but couldn't determine from where the smell was coming.

Ellsworth's Actual Odor responded in a literal
way to Token City by questioning the virtual experience
of subway. Visceral responses in any metropolitan subway often
outweigh the visual experiences. By bringing an olfactory catalyst
to the exhibition, Ellsworth provided an overall subway experience for exhibition visitors.

Performances by Angela Ellsworth at ASU Art Museum

Club Extra Performance/Installation

waist/waste room at Art on the Edge of Fashion reception