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Year Long Performance (Day 1300), West Fork Glacier, Denali National Park, Alaska, July 24, 2024

Patricia Brace's Year Long Performance is an ongoing durational piece that merges ritual, gratitude, and presence primarily within the natural landscapes of Maine. For the entirety of 2021, Brace wore an all-white uniform as she performed daily gestural movements, each marking a unique energetic impression of the day. These gestures are intimate responses to the landscape, capturing fleeting moments in time and expressing a reverence for place through somatic engagement. Documented throughout the year, each movement forms part of a calendric system, visually marking the year’s cycles and seasonal shifts.

This work is a profound reflection on Brace’s relationship with nature, inspired by her upbringing in rural Maine and a commitment to sustainable practice. Year Long Performance reframes performance art as a low-impact medium that fosters a deeper environmental connection, addressing the theme of “place and crisis.” This work connects personal ritual with broader ecological consciousness, embodying a sustainable, intimate dialogue with the environment.

Photo credit: Eric Johnson