WINDOW PEACE RE-PERFORMANCE MEMORY OF SUSAN KLECKNER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WINDOW PEACE RE PERFORMANCE MARCH 20,2026, WINDOW PEACE MY PAST ENDURANCE AND REASON FOR MY CHOICES In the mid 60's, artist-activist-feminist SUSAN KLECKNER invited 40 artists to publicly use and respond to her PEACE PROMPT ,each for a week, in a window directly off Canal Street NYC. Having lived in a Zen center, in upstate NY for 3 years, and having been tied with an 8 foot rope to Tehching Hsieh in collaboration with his one year performance, I was not too surprised by my choice to live blindfolded for a week in Susan's installation. But then again I was 45 and invincible and never stopped to consider the consequences of being in a public window, day and night , on a public street in NYC. What could go wrong? What would happen when I cooked blindfolded? And recently I learned there was a curtain that could be pulled so no one noticed when I used the porta potty. What hubris I had! Sleeping on a top loft, never peeking and stuffing my fears deep into my shadow of fears, waiting to be unloaded 40 years later. Sothen my yes was quick always, without too much consideration of consequences. And I lived, my eyes still remained useable and I continued for many years experimenting with questionable endurances. DARK ROOM RETREATS AND ART AND LIFE Google says that "dark room retreats involve spending days to weeks in total darkness to foster deep meditation, self reflection, and spiritual awakening by removing all sensory input." Forty years ago I was not aware of this Buddhist practice on a conscious level and maybe was thinking about preparing myself for the possibility of blindness in old age? Who knows, but having redone the week blindfold experience 2 years ago,I realize now that I must have stuffed eons and lifetimes of fear, guilt and shame deep into my petite self because this last blindfold experience dug up dregs from a Steven King novel which took a year to clear psychologically, spiritually and medically. In the 80's, I was an artist merely making art. This last dark room experience was about life, not art. KIRAN JANDU'S MOVIE, CURATING AND REALIZATIONS FROM REDOING THE WINDOW PEACE FOR 7 HOURS Kiran Jandu and Susan Jahoda's invitation for me to join their tribute to Susan Kleckner has been a journey back in time that has allowed me to both measure my current art motivation, and to share the consequences of publicly preparing for death. That is , my work now is about rehearsing for the endgame. And what better way for an artist to have this opportunity to sort of appear dead, to lay down for 7 hours publicly and making sounds when needed, not to entertain, not to perform, not to shine! And again, publicly asking for help to go to the bathroom and to alert audiences what Chakra I will focus on, means that I need a collaborator this time Eddy Levin will be my nurse, midwife, death doula for 7 hours. Note how in 1987 I needed NOBODY!!!! But maybe I did and I'm sure the porta potty got cleaned but i have no memory of this. So this time, I am practicing the art of aging, the art of interdependence, the ART OF ASKING FOR HELP. Art heals and I am elated that my work is revealing my inner and outer needs and concerns so blatantly. KIRAN JANDU What a wonderful force of energy, nature and inspiration Kiran is! We met because of this event and I have watched how she has created a mighty and thorough tribute to Susan Kleckner. And I truly hope that everyone has an opportunity to view the video Kiran made of Susan coming into the window to visit me. I had an opportunity to honestly have feelings for my 45 year old self because of Kirans video, but also had an opportunity to "visit" via video with Susan Kleckner. Ohhh how sweet, how caring, how gentle, how protective she sounded. I am truly grateful to Kiran for creating this video because I could not only watch myself rub raw my tired closed eyes but it also allowed me to be uplifted by Susan's natural Compassion and Care for me. How has Kiran's video changed me? Window then, window now? For many many years, I have worked assiduously and deeply to integrate my own loving inner mother-self and I know my 7 hour experience in the window on March 20, 2026 (equinox) will reflect personally and publicly my new emotional availability. Thank you again Kiran not only for your magnificent tribute to Susan but I truly thanks you for the video look back and what it taught me. And the 2 days that Kiran will be in the 2026 window, blindfolded and 1 day in the gallery blindfolded becomes an exciting "passing of the torch" between us. Kiran gave me this opportunity to be at the gallery and we collaborated together in ways that I get to learn something new from Kiran's vision. Wonderful. 7 CHAKRAS My Guru from India, Shri Brahmananda Saraswati , introduced his students to the 7 Chakras and when I saw his Chakra chart, I internally knew that I would be a student of this wisdom for a long time. And in 1987 I was wearing all yellow, and living for a year in the 3rd chakra teachings, as a result, in the 87 window I was wearing all yellow and Susan and I referencedmthat when we talked about the color of the yellow orange juice. In the 2026 Seven Chakra Seven Hour re-enactment, I will be wearing white and black. I find this puzzling and the only reference I can make is that the Japanese jacket belonged to my mother and also reminds me of a past friendship with an Asian. In 1987, the only sounds I made were conversations with Susan and the other visitors who came by the window. Otherwise I stuffed my fears, loneliness and needs deep into my 45 year old brain. Silence. But this time I will be sounding the mantras associated with the Chakras, ONLY WHEN I WANT TO , and instead of holding fear, loneliness, joy, grief sounds, in, I will sound them out by chanting the 7 mantras, a different mantra every hour. The audience will be invited to sonically join me if they wish via Eddy and I moving through the space , holding the Chakra Mantra written on a poster. Why sound? My time studying Indian music with Anita Slawek, has allowed me to understand and feel the gift of giving sound to breath. So this time, although it is only for 7hours, I feel as if I am being truly PRESENT AND EMOTIONALLY honest. 39 years ago, I toughed it out. This time, I ask my art for Mother healing. THANK YOU DEAR SUSAN KLECKNER, ACTIVIST ARTIST THANK YOU PUBLIC TRUST AND ALL INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS TRIBUTE POSSIBLE. LINDA MARY MONTANO, SAUGERTIES NY MARCH 11, 2026.