Happening Day!

So – as a follow up to the Fluxus activities we discuss Kaprow’s rules of thumb for happenings. In the past I have set a Happening in motion with a set of instructions for students left in the room. I had deliberately taken my self out of the process but sort of hovered unseen at the edges to watch them complete the actions. I did not feel the timing was right to do that to this class at this point in the term. We are all kind of still getting to know each other. I suspect that is because it has really been hit or miss in terms of activities at the start of class. I need to make sure they have activities to do over the next three classes. So – instead of me mapping the Happening activities I broke the class into four groups – that became three groups due to absences. Their task was to create an activity using Kaprow’s rules. The class then would execute these activities one after another. I think it was less successful than one person mapping it out since there was very little structure between the elements. Not that they didn’t cohere in some way, but certainly more random. Since moving locals was part of the process this gave us a chance to interact with others on campus – which is always the fun part. Behavior is conditioned in interesting ways and then encounters something unique. My favorite part was us all standing on the bridge holding our hands in a tunnel as someone crossed through the space and we screamed. Definitely not the every day. So – to the list of terms we added ritual – which can be such a powerful performative tool, the everyday, and group dynamics. I keep trying to remind the students that the context of the course is being generated by these activities and documented in this growing list.

Underneath it all the one thing that is nagging at me is how I deal with setting this stuff in motion. The performance art class has a much different vibe from the other project classes largely because it works to obliterate the line between life and art. Gen Art did this also – but almost in a cool detached way. This one runs right out the door into the world shouting at the top of its lungs. An interesting dynamic, but one that is scary as hell to be responsible for. I’m glad that the group who decided to engage campus police changed its mind. Some times life and art collide, sometimes its really just life. I think on Baudrillard’s comment that a fake hold up looks a lot like a real one.  Teaching this as a seminar class last time none of this bothered me. Hmm. Gotta wonder about that for a bit.