化. 北京, 中国 (huà. beijing, CHN)
for the
10th Open International Performance Art Festival
Part 1: Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 2:00pm-1:00am
Wearing attire (blue shirt, pants and an orange vest) that I borrowed from a local street cleaner,
I followed the map, and used a mop and water to write the Chinese character 化 (huà) as enormous calligraphy on the street. It took me 11 hours total to walk there, mop the path, and return to the gallery. I pulled with me a large bucket of water on wheels with a pole and video camera attached. The dirt and grime that the mop picked up settled at the bottom of the bucket and turned the remaining water a dark black/brown.
Part 2: Sunday, August, 23rd 2009 2:00-2:30pm
I took the dirty water and sediment back to the gallery space. Video captured from Part 1 was projected on the wall. I changed into formal attire (a suit and tie) and sat on the ground with a traditional ink painting brush, paper, and a mat. Using the left over dirty water and the concentrated dirt sediment from the street calligraphy (Part 1) instead of ink, I painted five traditional Chinese landscape paintings, transforming the dirt/pollution/grime from the city into a work of art/a painting/a depiction of nature. I crumpled the paintings and threw them to the side. Then, I changed back into my street cleaner attire, and swept the crumpled paintings through the gallery to the area where the T-shirts and cups were being sold. I set the crumpled papers on pedestals (turning them into sculptures) and put up a sign saying "Landscapes for Sale 1000 RMB/each." I then handed the audience pieces of paper with my map and some writing about 化 'huà' (to make into; to change into; -ization; to ...-ize; to transform). I told them to make their own landscapes and everyone began crumpling the papers and throwing them on the ground.
10th Open International Performance Art Festival