Deliverance: Two Days into a Performance Art Piece in Prenzlauer Berg

See Deliverance on the Web…

This afternoon, after work, I popped over to Prenzlauer Berg in order to see Deliverance, a performance art piece where three artists, living in 30 square meters, depend on the kindness of strangers to survive for 10 days.

When they start, they have nothing except the 30 square meters: no clothing, no water, no pillows, no… well, you get the idea.

Given that this is participation art, I brought with me a few things for the artists: some fancy candles (price tag accidentally still attached), a big package of nasal tissues, some toast-like crackers, and a bottle of water.

Honestly, it had run through my mind to bring some utterly useless and/or embarrassing things: A microwave (they have no electricity), a supply of dirty magazines, or a frozen pizza.

Conversing with visitors to the site. The no dog shit sign was donated — I’d say the best present of all!

Their rule is that once something has entered the “property”, so to speak, then it cannot leave – other than (a) themselves when they go directly to and from a nearby toilet; (b) guests like me; and (c) empty bottles that are collected by the poor, who take the bottles for their deposits.

Donated clothing.

As was pointed out, the performance echoes those by Marina Abramović, who the artists here in Berlin admitted is their hero.

Umbrella!

Suitcase with ???