Carl Diehl

Procession of the Damned

2007

Performative Walk

Equipped with all manner of discarded technologies and theories, a mobilized monstrosity was wheeled across Eugene, Oregon on May 7th, 2007. Upon reaching the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art it was anchored into place as part of the Paranormal Mechanisms installation. A peculiar parade all told, it is survived today in the form of this journal entry:

“A PROCESSION of the damned. By the damned, I mean the excluded. We shall have a procession of data that Science has excluded. Battalions of the accursed, captained by pallid data that I have exhumed, will march….” -Charles Fort, Book of The Damned , 1919

This database of the damned set forth around 9:15am, out from the depths of the Potter garage. The rains of frogs and hail held out for our flight today and after a lumbering launch, we held to a steady clip. With help from Ryan Halley and the PXL visionary Jesse England — we navigated the concrete (and ever green) jungles of Eugene.

Most human contact was limited to blank stares and gaping mouths. Of note was one older woman in the vicinity of 20th/Harris who slowed down our damnable craft to question our motives.  Ascertaining that we weren’t selling anything, she excitedly discussed Chaos theory with us and then went merrily on her way! As predicted, it took just 90 minutes to complete our procession. We unloaded at the docks of JSMA victorious and rejoicing.