Emma Sulkowicz's 'Healing Touch' Performance in Philadelphia

New York artist Emma Sulkowicz will perform 'The Healing Touch Integral Wellness Center' from January 13 to 29, 2017, in Philadelphia, organized by Philadelphia Contemporary. The performance takes place in an unnamed space transformed into a 'parafictional' medical clinic offering a 'revolutionary cure for human desire.' Sulkowicz, acting as 'Doctor Sulkowicz,' conducts 30-minute one-on-one sessions using her patented 'Healing Method' to help participants fulfill their desires through personalized paths developed collaboratively. Nearly 130 appointments are scheduled for the first week alone. Sulkowicz, of Japanese, Chinese, and Jewish descent, previously won the Woman of Courage Award in 2016. She is best known for her controversial performance 'Carry That Weight' (2014–2015), where she carried a dormitory mattress across Columbia University's campus to protest sexual assault by a fellow student. That project sparked legal actions and encouraged other alleged victims to come forward. The accused student was found not guilty and countersued the university and professor Jon Kessler. Legal proceedings are ongoing. Sulkowicz's new work inverts roles, making the viewer the subject of examination.