*there is no single name for the unceded indigenous territories of this land. we acknowledge the traditional unceded lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Kathlamet, Cowlitz, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla peoples+ / portland

deadbird was presented by Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. you may self-stream the film on your own time.

 

visit the altar

may 27 - 30, 2021

you are invited to honor this body lost. this body leads us to many bodies past, present and future. can anybody help me hold this body? our grief can be holy if we let it.

at PICA’s outdoor space on San Rafael Street

this altar will be tended by Maya Vivas.

friday, may 28: at 12pm the altar will be activated by Maya. you are invited to witness this ritual.

may 28 - 30: the altar will remain open during all PICA hours. Maya will be present to tend to the altar and all who engage it daily from 12pm-4pm.

sunday, may 30: at 4pm the altar will close. you are invited to witness this ritual.

may we insist on visualizing the accumulation of our grief and the accumulation of our ancestors as we understand that without this pause, we too will be lost. may we take a moment with our loved ones and for our own resilient living beings.

 

to participate:

  • 1. please find the following map with the location of a public grief altar

    2. locate a meaningful item of your selection in honor of a loved one lost, or medicine for the collective moment. you are invited to photograph the offering and upload it to the online archive before arriving at the altar

    3. travel to this location

    4. an altar tender will be present at the appointed times, although you are welcome to visit at any time during PICA hours

    5. when you arrive to the altar, you are invited to place your item where you are called to do so.

    you are invited to document your altar offerings and upload them to the archive.

    archive

  • accessibility information:
    (1) the site is accessible  from San Rafael street through a gate. there is a sidewalk with curb cuts leading onto a paved asphalt surface with a slight slope 
    (2) ADA accessible and gender-neutral restrooms and water fountain are located inside of PICA
    (3) questions about accessibility? contact Mami at mami@pica.org

  • transit:
    PICA is located in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood of northeast Portland. we are close to bus lines 4, 6, 17 and 44. stops for the A Loop and B Loop Streetcar are approximately 0.3 miles from our building. the nearest max station is Rose Quarter Transit Center which is approximately 0.5 miles away. on-street parking is available. please be aware that we reside in a residential area and therefore ask that all PICA guests, staff, and audience members treat our neighborhood and neighbors, housed and unhoused, with the utmost respect.

    click here for more information on covid safety and how to visit

visiting dates

select a location below for more information on the project's trajectory. select “at home” for a private screening and altar practice.

  • NYC
    Lenapehoking+
    New York
    3/31/21 - 4/3/21
  • PHI
    Lenni-Lenape+
    Philadelphia
    4/16 /21- 4/18/21
  • PDX
    Portland*

    5/28/21 - 5/30/21
  • SYR+HAM
    Onondaga+ Oneida+
    Syracuse, Hamilton 
    10/13/22 - 10/15/22
  • at home
    your house
    --
    --

add to the archive

after visiting an altar you are invited to document your altar offerings and upload them to the collective archive of can anybody help me hold this body.

land acknowledgement

as deadbird and its traveling altar can anybody help me hold this body travels across Turtle Island (Northern America), we recognize all of the Indigenous peoples of these lands, past, present, and here now. only a few of these peoples are named here. we encourage you to learn more about where you are as you are asking the land to hold and compost your grief and offering. we acknowledge these traditional, ancestral, unceded territories by grieving our loved ones with the land as an actionable exchange and reciprocity. in doing so we engage in our responsibility to the history of these sacred lands, rooted in our respect and continued accountability.