Score #1: unpacking a bag of your own

Tanja Ostojić:  MISPLACED WOMEN? (ongoing since 2009)

delegated performance

More or less then one hour, with or without preparation, one or  more performers, migration specific locations 

About:

Misplaced Women? is an art project that welcomes contributions by people from divers backgrounds that embody and enact some of everyday life activities that signify a displacement. Participants are invited to perform and reflect a pone different notions of traveling, identity, illegality, homelessness, security, privat space/ public space, and to share there experiences on the project blog.

Instruction: 

1. Select a migration specific place that resonates to you (public transportation, central bus station, airport, border, aria affected with gentrification..)

2. Get there and unpack a bag of your own (such as your own purse or back pack or a bag with empty plastic bags, or packaging from consumers articles..).

3. Take every single idem out and turn it inside out. Take all out of your pockets. Turn your pockets inside out. Take your shoes off. Ones you unpacked all, search to see if you discover something.

4. For advanced and additionally motivated: You can do the same action at a variety of places and see how different it is being perceived at different times and locations. In such a case, draw a map of where you have performed.

Note: 

Reflect a pone how does it feel to do this in public. Do you feel exposed? How does it resonates with your life experience, and does it bring you closer to the people on the move, people on the street, etc.. Be open to talk to passing by people about what you actually do and why. Let this performance last for at least half-an-hour. If you have unpacked your things in a hectic way, after “a brake” and exchange, try to pack items back with appreciation and care. (Or the other way around, right?)

Attention:

Places that are generally understood as public spaces might appear not to be such. That means that with your performance you might challenge the notion of public space, and see where it is (not) possible to do your action. A security guy might push you one meter away from the entrance (in a shopping mall or what many train stations also became now a days, right?) Or policeman might ask you –What are you doing?. I could only advice you to get one person with you to try to talk the security out, so that you can finish your performance. You may also say that you are looking for an item of your own that you really need but you are not sure if you took it with you. (What ever that might be, right?) This is to avoid being kicked out, arrested or so.., as performing and filming is usually not allowed at most places.

Crediting and Publishing: 

It is very important to credit everyone properly. With the “Misplaced Women?” project we pay special attention to that. Please be sure to fully credit your action as:

_____your name:  a performance in response to the “MISPLACED WOMEN?” (ongoing since 2009), delegated performance by Tanja Ostojić, “Score 1”… — where every you share it or print it. And we will do the same with your contribution. Send a photo or a drawing of yourself performing, the description about how did it go (your name, date, time, duration, location(s) and notes about what happened). Please let us know if you would like that your contribution is published on the project blog: We would greatly appreciate your permission to do so.

 

 Tanja Ostojic: Misplaced Women?
Performed by Tanja Ostojic at Bergen International Airport, 2011. Photo: Jannicke Olsen

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