1 III 2002

Aichi Hoteinanafukuteii, Japonia

manifestation as part of The 9th Nippon International Performance Art Festival  (22 II – 8 III)

Description of the manifestation:

Two small tables stand in the hall. On one lie chess pieces ready for play; on the other are a bottle of vodka, vodka glasses, and a stone found earlier in a fallow field. This fact is of great significance to the author, as he is in Japan.

The artist enters naked and announces that the intention is to create a collaborative documentary of this meeting. He approaches the chessboard, moves a white piece, and paints half of a letter on his body with white paint. He moves to the other side of the board, moves a black piece, and completes the letter with black paint. He then goes to the second table, fills several glasses with vodka, and paints a cross on his back, signifying ten years of life. He informs the audience of this. The chess game with himself unfolds: more black and white letters appear on his torso, more glasses are filled with vodka, and more crosses appear on his back. When the bottle is empty, the word EXIST appears on his torso, and seven crosses – representing the author’s age – appear on his back. He then picks up the stone and smashes the empty bottle against it. He applies white and red paint to his penis and imprints it on the stone. Finally, he invites those present to help themselves to the alcohol and sign the stone to authenticate the document. Those present eagerly comply, engaging in lively discussion.