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Nothing really happens in this city: Digging holes and Filling them back (2023)
First performance of the project in which I walked around the town looking for exposed screws, then unscrewing them and screwing them back.
On the day of the performance, a video camera was handed to a volunteer to record my action. None of the plans for the action were shared before the event. With a set of screwdrivers with different heads packed in my backpack, I went out to wander around the town center looking for exposed screw heads.
During the 6 minute performance of walking from the house to the town (1), 4 screws were located. (2)
Although all of them could have been unscrewed with the tools I brought, it was rather unclear if I could allow myself to execute the action. They were all functioning, holding signboards or wire covers to the wall.
Unscrewing the screw wouldn’t take more than a minute, but I became afraid that someone passing by might accuse me of doing so. An Asian guy filming a video in this small neighborhood was already grabbing enough attention. Hence, I moved on to find another one—perhaps one that seemed to have lost its purpose or one on a wall with fewer pedestrians. Eventually, I found the screw for further action (3) soon enough. It was holding a torn sign with a large ‘P’ and the right end of the letter ‘K.’ There were still a lot of people since it was right next to a bus stop, but the fact that it is torn made it easy for me to proceed with the action.
I unscrewed it, took a step back, and observed the dug hole (4) for a couple of seconds. Some brick particles fell off with the screw. The signboard also seemed as if it was going to fall off, so I went closer to try to move the board, but I soon realized there was another screw holding its top. I picked up the taken-out screw and screwed it back in.
Then I walked away from the scene. That was the end of the performance.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)Found out later from the film that I looked back at the signboard while walking away. Can’t really remember what I ‘ve been thinking or what made me to do so. But the signboard and the screw were in their place.