A hunger artist is a type of performance art in which the artist undertakes a voluntary act of starvation as a means of expressing a personal or political statement Hunger artists often use public performances, media coverage and online photography or video to make their messages heard. Hunger artists will often partner with a charity or cause and donate a portion of proceeds to help fund their efforts. In this way, hunger art can be seen as both an act of protest and an act of charity.
The five best examples of things a hunger artist could "fast" from would include water, food, energy, material goods, and technology.
Water: A hunger artist could choose to abstain from drinking water, either partially or entirely. This type of fast could be symbolic of the scarcity of clean water in certain parts of the world, or of the individual’s personal commitment to doing without a basic human need in order to make a statement.
Food: A hunger artist could choose to abstain from solid food, either partially or entirely. This type of fast could be symbolic of the numerous people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition around the world, or of the individual’s personal commitment to doing without a basic human need in order to make a statement.
Energy: A hunger artist could choose to abstain from energy usage, either partially or entirely. This type of fast could be symbolic of the need to reduce energy consumption in order to combat climate change, or of the individual’s personal commitment to doing without a basic human need in order to make a statement.
Material Goods: A hunger artist could choose to abstain from shopping or using material goods, either partially or entirely. This type of fast could be symbolic of the excessive consumerism of western cultures, or of the individual’s personal commitment to doing without a basic human need in order to make a statement.
Technology: A hunger artist could choose to abstain from technology usage or access to the internet, either partially or entirely. This type of fast could be symbolic of the need to disconnect from our ever-connected world in order to gain a sense of peace, or of the individual’s personal commitment to doing without a basic human need in order to make a statement.