Performance #3: Concept

For this performance I am determined to have it be participatory and light-hearted, for I  feel that I am taking this class with much too serious of an attitude. I was deeply inspired by Austin’s performance last week, when we “christened” the soon-to-be Lost City Farm with recordings of “positive, life-affirming” sounds. I am realizing more and more each day that art—no matter the materials used, no matter the scale, no matter the price—is always meant to alter perceptions, challenge preconceptions, and allow you to reconsider the way you observe the world and the people and things that reside within it, even if that reconsideration occurs for only a moment. Austin last week challenged my notions of what could be recorded…for example, he recorded the sound of a “thumbs-up,” which to me is so incredible, albeit a little silly! He also allowed us to play upon, interact with, and acknowledge  our place and space within the Lost City Farm in its stages of infancy…we brought positivity to the farm because we believe we brought positivity to the farm. The performance was light-hearted and a little non-sensical, but so inspiring and revealing. 

For the Pincollini Circus, I will be inviting participants to re-evaluate and explore the space surrounding them through what I'm calling an open-ended scavenger hunt. The participatory performance will begin with me handing everyone slips of paper with written "directions," suggesting what to search for and find throughout Evan's Creek. The directions will be open-ended in the sense that they can be interpreted subjectively-- although everyone only receives one set of directions, the directions have the potential to be interpreted differently depending on who gets what set. Some examples of open-ended directions are, "Bring me something that may not be here tomorrow," or, "Bring me something that has light." After the participants set out out the scavenger hunt and find something subjectively appropriate according to their directions, they will bring the object back to me with their slip of paper. In exchange, I will photograph them with a camera that takes mini-Polaroid photos and give them the photo as an artifact of the exercise, so that they may return their found objects to the space.