6 X 1972

center of Art in Södertälje, Szwecja

Manifestation carried out at the opening of the solo exhibition

Manifestation description:

The interior of one of the spaces in the Art Center in Södertälje. In the foreground a 2-meter-high mast of raw unbarked black birch is placed. At its base it is weighed with heavy stones that hold it upright. In the background, a thick board laid on a tree trunk forms a provisionally arranged table. On the table a loaf of bread and a knife are placed.

The artist walks up to the mast and ties the trailing end of the rope to its lower part. He applies paint to his feet with a brush and, walking around the mast, imprints a circle of marks with a radius equal to the length of the rope. He changes colors and prints successive circles of traces. At the same time, he writes on his front hip cover, letter by letter, the word “FLAG”. When the writing is completed, he unties the covers from one side and removes them. Someone hands over a ladder. The artist climbs up the ladder, pulls the covers up to the top of the pole and ties them in such a way that the carved negatives of the body parts which have been covered, are visible now. Naked, he walks over to an improvised table and cuts slices of bread. After cutting each slice he paints the red lines of divisions on his body with a brush. At the end, he invites the audience to share the bread.

Photo by Władysław Hasior