Art Basel Miami 2023:
Artist residency
In 2023, Sleepr was the first anonymous artist in resident for the duration of the world famous art fair Art Basel Miami.
The Artist Residency
The 2023 Art Basel Miami residency featured an extraordinary performance by the anonymous artist known only as Sleepr. This residency stood out among the many high-profile events at the fair, with its unique blend of conceptual depth and performative intensity. Sleepr’s presence was marked by an enigmatic performance art piece that challenged traditional notions of accessibility and audience interaction, situating their work at the intersection of visual art and psychological exploration.
An Opaque Chamber: Hidden Performance Art
During the five-day residency, Sleepr was entirely hidden from view, confined within an opaque chamber. This physical separation between the artist and the public was central to the conceptual framework of the performance. The artist, concealed behind a Venetian mask, was only reachable through a singular point of contact—a red phone connecting the public directly to Sleepr’s thoughts. This setup created a highly controlled environment where interaction was mediated not by sight, but by voice and imagination.
The Public Engagement: Over 500 Conversations
Over the course of the residency, more than 500 conversations took place between Sleepr and the public. These interactions ranged from the deeply personal to the abstract, covering a spectrum of human emotions and experiences. Each conversation contributed to the creation of a single artwork, "Medicine For The Soul," a piece that encapsulates the residency’s themes of connection, confession, and catharsis. The artwork is not just a visual product, but a manifestation of the collective experiences shared during the residency.
Anonymity and Authenticity
Sleepr explored the nuanced interplay between authenticity and anonymity through a unique artistic performance piece. By enclosing themselves inside an opaque chamber for five days and maintaining anonymity while actively engaging with the public, Sleepr challenges conventional notions of identity and presence in the art world.
This juxtaposition not only invites contemplation on the essence of genuine artistic expression but also fosters a dynamic dialogue between the artist’s hidden persona and their immediate, tangible interaction with audiences. The residency serves as a compelling experiment in how anonymity can both obscure and amplify the impact of an artist’s work.
Medicine For The Soul
The artwork, "Medicine For The Soul," created in real-time during over 500 conversations with the general public, and is a testament to the complex interplay of ideas and emotions that characterized the residency. Sleepr described the work as a “dense hypernetwork of conflicting and interwoven ideas with these sharp glistening breakthroughs of clarity and perspective,” capturing the essence of the dialogue-driven creative process. The piece is as much about the process of creation as it is about the final visual outcome, reflecting the intensity of the artist’s experience within the chamber.
The first work made by an artist in resident at Art Basel Miami
The first work made by an anonymous artist at a major international art fair
The first major art fair the Solana blockchain has participated in
The work was sold at auction on the final day of the fair for approximately $10,000.
Sleepr was refused entry on multiple occasions into backstage areas at Art Basel Miami for presenting a useless anonymous security pass when asked for ID.
The artist is the artwork.
The great alchemical work is the transformation of the person who can then channel the divine with greater fidelity.