Performance for Basekamp, Philadelphia, 3-8 pm, October 25, 2010 by Per Huttner and Fatos Ustek

Following their ongoing investigation into the boundaries of artist, curator, critic and their audience, Hüttner and Ustek invite their audience to a new and exciting collaborative experience. The performance was participatory and ongoing from 3 to 8 pm.

Hüttner and Ustek  set up a table outside of the Basekamp gallery. Here they invited the audience to participate in their performance. They explained what the participant was asked to do. Once the basis for the performance was made clear, the participating persons were joined by two performers who were dressed up in special uniforms developed by French fashion designer Emilia Rota.

Ustek left Basekamp and installed herself in a public place that has been agreed upon (a café, train station, bar,  shop or other public space). The two uniform clad performers and the participant shortly thereafter joined her. The two performers asked to see the curator’s passport and after careful consideration asked her to leave with them. Upon leaving the two held the curator’s arms as they left together.

It was the visitor’s responsibility to document the surrounding people’s reactions to the event. The 6 visitors used digital camera, video and text. You will find these by clicking here, here, here, here or here.

The project turned virtually all the power structures of the world (and art world) upside down and allowed the participant, not only to become performer and critic but also to study how members of the public relate to two uniform clad “officials”.

The project forms a part of Huttner and Ustek’s ongoing project La Durée.

Each participant’s documentation of the performance is posted on the project’s blog.