"The Art of Hosting is the Highest Form of Art"

(titled after Tom Moriani's The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art, 1970-1979)

Live performance, two nights during the exhibition

As part of her thesis exhibition, Serena Viola Corson will host an intimate, participatory performance in the gallery in which a beautifully set tablescape becomes the site of a living artwork. Each evening, up to ten guests will gather for a shared meal, reserved in advance through Eventbrite. Rooted in feminist social practice and relational aesthetics, these gatherings transform the often-invisible labor of care, hosting, and emotional presence into a public, collective experience. This work acknowledges art as life, and life as art.

Drawing from traditions of performance artists such as Tom Marioni and Rirkrit Tiravanija, Corson reclaims the art of gathering as a legitimate artistic practice. The table, as an important meeting point, becomes a space for ritual, vulnerability, and friendship, offering an alternative to isolation culture and the hierarchies of the traditional art world. Through shared food, open invite, and fluid conversation, each evening unfolds as a one-time, ephemeral work shaped by those who attend.

Participation is limited and required to experience the work. Food and drinks will be provided, donations are welcome to help with this but not required, bring whatever you’d like.

During the dinner, there will be a guided meditation to ground the participants. Then she will open up a sacred circle, inspired by the consciousness raising groups of the second wave of feminism, where everyone can share how they’ve been feeling. This is not therapy - this is community healing and a practice of deep listening. This is an intentional practice to fight the loneliness epidemic as declared by US Surgeon General. By attending, the participant swears to act only in compassion, kindness and non judgement.

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Host or Publisher LSU College of Art + Design Galleries