Concept

-2001-

During a televised church service at the evangelical Harvest Fellowship Church in Texas, Pastor Peter Spencer invites Jankowski to the stage – as previously agreed upon by the two. Video camera in hand, Jankowski climbs the steps but suddenly collapses at the feet of the TV pastor, where he remains motionless. In that moment, the view seen in the video The Holy Artwork changes from Jankowski’s handheld camera to that of the church’s studio set. Pastor Spencer uses the opportunity to preach to his lively congregation – as well as TV audiences and future art audiences – about the indivisibility of artistic creativity and the creative force of God. Jankowski’s performance is a »holy artwork« that bridges art, religion, and television. The pastor then asks the congregation in the church and watching on TV to pray for the future of the artwork. Afterwards, the artist gets back on his feet; only by first relinquishing control over the form and the authorship of the work was Jankowski able to speak to audiences about contemporary art in a language that they could understand.

Video

Video (1 Digital Betacam, 1 DVD), 15:52 min, NTSC, 4:3, color, sound, English with subtitles (German, Italian, Croatian), edition of 5, II</p