Distributed Performance Art

Distributed Performance Art is a framework of everyday acts that everyone can perform anytime and anywhere, for the betterment of humankind.

It is also a community-based performance art that is not simply showing and exhibiting art but working actively towards solving problems like zero waste, limiting consumption, and carbon footprint.

To create spontaneous creative rituals where participants perform creative acts as opposed to being background actors/consumers of art.

Zero Art

My idea for Zero Art came to me while I was cleaning the local park and seeing people carrying doggie bags. I also saw people carrying garbage bags and randomly cleaning. It also was gradually developing in the back of my mind as I encountered piles of garbage on the sidewalks of Manhattan and thought that lots of the garbage piles looked like excellent unintended art installations. Artists have always dealt with found objects. Zero is the beginning of everything although very very small. If you put it after things it adds value.

Zero Art aims at zero carbon footprint, zero slave labor, and impact on the environment. It is good for your body and applies your creativity to everyday objects:

1 Grab a small degradable bag & glove (or a bag for a glove).

2 Head to the nearest park.

3 Start picking trash from the park, the lawns, everywhere.

4 Make a small installation with your found objects. Arrange it as you have seen in galleries. Frame shot.

5 Take a picture. It is going to be your Zero Art installation.

6 Share it and inspire others to do it.

7 Dispose of it - it is meant to be an ephemeral object, a Zero Art. You just did a Zero Art installation.

Performance Christmas

Performance Christmas Gifts, a holiday catalog of do it yourself performance art.
A Holiday catalog of gifts for friends, family, lovers, and random strangers:

1 Read them from their favorite book, borrowed from the library. These days you can borrow digitally as well. Nypl shameless plug here.

2 Take them sledding with a found sled.

3 Trash treasure hunt in Manhattan.

4 Make them a food installation on the kitchen counter, spell their name or write them a message with cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, or whatever wonderful imaginative food combinations you can come up with.

5 Donate Kitchen and Pantry items and replace their spots in the kitchen cupboards with mini-installations, handwritten messages, and joyful cards. When someone you love opens the cupboard they will have a nice surprise.

6 Make a wall of your house paintable, hang a giant piece of paper or canvas, and have everyone paint on it, write messages, and mural fun things in bright colors.

7 Spell the name of your loved one with clothes, in the hallway, living room floor, any large floor space. Make a letter from each item of clothing and arrange like this. I call it Words Works.

Buy homeless person a sandwich

As part of the Holiday gift guide buy a homeless person a sandwich:

1 Approach a homeless person on the street. Use common sense and do not wake them if they are sleeping or otherwise unable to communicate

2 Ask them if they’d like a sandwich and a cup of coffee or drink, hot or cold

3 Ask what kind of condiments, bread, cheese, meats and what kind of drink to get

4 Got to the nearest deli, bodega, Starbucks. There’s literally a deli on every corner in New York

5 Order the sandwich and the drink - the deli will prepare it for you and put it in a bag with napkins, take straws

6 Hand it to the person. Do not give people homemade stuff, it is not in the best interest of everyone’s safety

7 Leave a good impression

DIY Memory Replacement

Play Exquisite Corpse with your neighbors:

1 Ingredients: milk, cookies, piece of paper.

2 Take the milk, cookies and the piece of paper and ring the bell on your upstairs neighbor.

3 Ask your neighbor to bring a glass and a pen.

4 Pour them milk, give them a cookie and ask them to draw a doodle, on the paper.

5 Go to your neighbors to the right, then to the left, and the one below. If you are lacking neighbors - take your paper, milk and cookies to your corner store and ask a stranger. If you are lacking strangers - ask your kids or your partner, or your parents. If you are lacking family ask your friends. Pour them milk, give them a cookie and ask them to draw a doodle, on the paper.

6 Repeat until you run out of milk, cookies and space on the paper. Now you have a fun piece of paper with a drawing on it. A giant doodle.

7 Go home and rest. You have played a fun game and deserve a break. Frame the drawing. This type of collaborative drawing is called Exquisite Corpse and was played by artists in French cafes in the 1930's. Now you have a new experience and self-evident proof of your brand new memory.