Oreet Ashery
The Saint/s of Whitstable

Fisherman's Hut, Sea Wall

See posters outside the hut for details of events.

Against the backdrop of post capitalist alienation and increased religious fundamentalism, many people are seeking new value systems. The Saint/s of Whitstable is a fictional character/s creating a presence in Whitstable and evoking public engagement with topics such as celebrity, enigma, faith, values and community. Posters outside the Fisherman's Hut present information about The Saint/s of Whitstable, and advertise events and performances. There will be a performance on Saturday 21 June, and on Saturday 28 June, including an interactive study group session. During the second week of the Whitstable Biennale, 1- 5 July, The Hut will be used daily as a base for The Saint/s of Whitstable to restage performances and street interventions following the controversial 17th century false messiah Shabtai Zvi’s series of performative ‘Foreign Acts’. Collaborating with other artists includes John Cussans (Free School), Mikhail Karikis, Harminder Singh Judge and Magdalena Suranyi.

The performances are based on Ashery's research into enigmatic saints, in particular the cabbalist false messiah Shabtai Zvi, a 17th Century controversial religious figure who gained a following across the Eastern and Western worlds. Zvi's surreal acts included beach rituals, and drumming while walking through cities with a large fish in a baby's cot complete with pillow and blanket. The acts were fuelled by rebellious impulses against the regulations of organised religion, and share much with contemporary performance. Oreet Ashery is a London based artist working mainly in live art and digital media. The live events tend to be interactive and Ashery often performs as fictional male characters. Ashery has recently exhibited/performed/screened at the Brooklyn museum, the Freud Museum; Petch Tikva museum; Tate Modern and The Pompidou Centre, Paris. Books include Art in the Age of Terrorism; Blasphemy - Art That Offends and Biographies and Space.