Willow Smith took action to make a statement about anxiety by spending 24 hours, starting Wednesday, March 11, inside a glass box with Tyler Cole, who’s been called her boyfriend. Through this form of expression, the pair are creating a performance art piece, titled “The Anxiety,” that will be on display at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.
The project is attached to a joint album they completed called “The Anxiety,” which has a Friday, March 13 release.
In the box, Smith and Tyler have three canvas walls surrounding them where they will paint and write affirmations. The two will explore eight different emotions together: sadness, rage, paranoia, acceptance, strong interest, compassion, euphoria and numbness. The plan was for them not to speak during the 24 hours.
“We might grunt or scream. It’s going to be very primal,” Smith told the Los Angeles Times.
People will be able to see the rumored couple through one of the box’s glass walls in 15-minute increments.
“This is not so that people are like, ‘Oooh.’ This is for awareness,” Smith explained. “The first thing we’re going to be writing on our title wall is something along the lines of: ‘The acceptance of one’s fears is the first step toward understanding.’ So then you know this is on something real. This is for a real cause.
“We’re on this planet and anything could happen, like the thing that just happened with Kobe [Bryant]. That was really a knife in the heart,” added Smith, referencing Bryant being killed in a helicopter crash in January.
“Every moment is precious, and I think everyone has a fear of just not knowing what’s going to happen in the future, not knowing if you’re on the right path, not knowing if you’re making the right choices,” she explained.
