Ballooning Awareness IIThis performance involves walking uptown from Battery Park, being led by the pedestrian traffic signals on every forner and the directions of the one way streets.
This random flow of directions from "Walk" or "Dont Walk" signals will dictate Bonafede's route up toward the Apollo Theater, heeding the one way street's direction when posed with the "Don't Walk" signal. Dressed all in white and in his hand he will be carrying 75 white, eco-friendly, paper balloons.
Every time he encounters a child under 13 he will ask them if they know about global warming. If they do, Bonafede will ask them to draw or write on the white balloons with a black sharpie about what they think is a solution to the problem.
The children will take these balloons to be ultimately let go into the atmosphere in jeopardy. A video crew and will document the journey and its interviews.
Bio: John Bonafede was born in Long island, NY and began taking art seriously at a young age. Attending the New York State Summer School of the arts program in high school, Bonafede went on to study fine arts at Syracuse University. He then attended School of Visual Arts in New York City and studied a semester of painting abroad in Barcelona's LLOTJA. He attended post BFA classes at Parsons School of Design (Book Making) and Tibet House (Tangkha Painting). He also studied Chinese Language at China Institute in Manhattan.
Bonafede creates artwork almost everywhere he travels. His performance art, printmaking, painting and installation art have been shown in several cities such as Barcelona, London, New York, and Kaliningrad.
Bonafede also co-founded a non-profit organization called Tibetan Bridge (www.tibetanbridge.org) which aims at building a boarding school for nomadic and poor children in East Tibet.
Bonafede has worked as a Production Designer/Art Director for many years in the film and video industry as well as a Visual Manager at ABC Home and Carpet. Currently John teaches drawing classes for Tibetan Bridge charity and produces cultural events also to help the raise money/awareness of the non-profit.
Curator: Pietro Franesi
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