#OccupyOccupyArt21

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS!

On the first night of #occupyLA, about an hour after the General Assembly, an individual in red jogging attire began running laps around the camp. Signs were attached to their garments that read, “RUN WITH ME AGAINST GREED.” I was talking about something with a few comrades when we saw this moonlit athlete go by two or three times. After the third lap we decided to join. The jogger was very friendly and clearly excited about our participation. Our running constituency slowly grew with each additional lap, meanwhile other occupiers cheered us on as we ran past. Some lined up along our path with their hands out to give us high-fives as we ran by, which was extremely encouraging. People were shouting, “Exercise your rights!”

https://www.flickr.com/photos/parlance/6203474989/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/parlance/6203990894/in/photostream/

. . .

(24) pajama revolution

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Keywords: experimental music, experimental performance, dance, pajamas, sitting around, passive aggression, protest, occupation, occupyLA, occupyWallStreet, occupyEverything
Duration: whatever you can afford minutes
# of Performers: the more the merrier

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your body, pajamas, blog posts, articles, videos, facebook

Score / Notes
spend your morning, afternoon, evening, or/and late nite in your pajamas
reading articles and blog posts, or/and watching videos
related to the occupy movement

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/PajamaRevolution

. . .

(23) Violin Concerto in Occupy-minor (for Jen Karmin)

Mikal Czech
(2011)

— playlist for a gentle revolution
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8CEACCC216893517

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/ViolinConcertoInOccupyMinor

. . .

Occupying Love in the 99%

Jamie and Adrian began a heated love affair within the first week of #occupyLA that is still burning strong almost three months later. I invited them to briefly share some of their thoughts and feelings on rabble-arousal and occupying love in the 99%, and they submitted this texting exchange in response.

JAMIE: who are we now?
ADRIAN: Im me
JAMIE: but what about US
r u still willin ta lickit?
ADRIAN: We r a group of individuals in a group
Whoa, slo down hot shot
JAMIE: I hate it when your too serious
ADRIAN: Its a srious world wi serious problems that seriously fuck people up
JAMIE: preeecheee. but u seem b doin fine?
ADRIAN: Im okay cause ive got u
JAMIE: u do?
ADRIAN: When im lucky
JAMIE: maybe we can all get lucky soon?
more lucky
ADRIAN: We r so privileged to b able to get more lucky
JAMIE: I like u better when u use other words that start with p
ADRIAN: Like patriotic penetrating pussies
JAMIE: yeah!
pulsating privileged penii!!
ADRIAN: Do u have plans for this weekend? Possible actions in the works?
JAMIE: https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/OpenDoorsWelcome
ADRIAN: Huh?
JAMIE: wha?
ADRIAN: You know I cant look at links on my phone
JAMIE: lsr
ADRIAN: Dnt b mean
JAMIE: guess that means u can’t see this either: https://i2.cdnds.net/10/34/550w_gayspy_frow_kirk_4.jpg
did u go to the port?
ADRIAN: Who is that?
JAMIE: did u go to the port?
ADRIAN: No was sleeping. did u?
JAMIE: no wuz working : (
but heard it was really cold and rainy and that folks had to meet up at 5:30am : (
ADRIAN: But it was sucsessful, yes?
JAMIE: I dunno. haven’t really heard about it anywhere
ADRIAN: I read the lettr the truckdrivers issued but thats all ive heard
JAMIE: I wish u were a truck driver and would write me lttrs
ADRIAN: This is kinda like that
But you get to hve btr workin conditions
JAMIE: yeah, kinda
what next, AR?
ADRIAN: Swingers parties in forclosed houses
JAMIE: yuummm
ADRIAN: Kissins in banks
Trying to deposit kisses
JAMIE: in your smoochey-deposit box?
savin for a rainy day?
ADRIAN: or for when your in dc
JAMIE: i wanna go freeballin in dc
freedomballin
ADRIAN: Its to cold for that there this time of year
Fr
JAMIE: fredomballin with me in the financial district here this Friday?
ADRIAN: Oh yeah?
JAMIE: ho yeah
ADRIAN: Ho No
JAMIE: it’ll be 66F
ADRIAN: 666
JAMIE: if u cum along we cud push it up to 69F
ADRIAN: Sounds hot
I guess i have to come then
JAMIE: the revilution is calling
u
ADRIAN: The revolutuions erection will not be televised
JAMIE: good, I hear the rev has an ugly dick!
ADRIAN: I tink is cute
You just dont like dicks
JAMIE: dint know u like oligarch dick so much
ADRIAN: Arent all dicks more or less part of the oligarch
I meen if there on men…
JAMIE: dont u have to go or something?
ADRIAN: Yeah, i really should but its so hard to say goodbye to u
… when we re so deeply in this together
JAMIE: your so deep
ADRIAN: I ove the way u get so deep inside me

. . .

(4) a new life in miniature (Diorama Club)

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
little trees, little people, little things to eat, little tables, little hammocks, little tools, little books, little first aid kits, little soapboxes, little napkins, little cups, little succulents, little cats, little tents, little massage tables, little camlab, little margaritas, little camera phones, little musical instruments but no congas, djembes, or bongos, little teapots, little bullet-proof vests, little nerf footballs, one big shoebox

Score / Notes

build a new life or/and society in miniature

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/ANewLifeInMiniatureDioramaClub

. . .

(39) Balance

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Duration: til your economic situation becomes stable

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your body

Score / Notes
Hop on one foot and discuss the precariousness of your current economic condition, your involvement with corporatism, or/and your relationship to the destruction of the planet.

variations: instead of hopping on one foot put yourself in a situation where it is hard for you to physically balance yourself

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/39Balance

. . .

Art Institute I HATE YOU!! ITT Technical Institute I HATE YOU!! University of Phoenix I HATE YOU!!

In October I ran into to my friend Lacey and we talked about her current dilemma working as a professor at various trade schools. She contributed this rant that she had posted recently in an online forum.

anonymous in Los Angeles, California:

I’m an artist who feels compelled to teach at your S#Itt Technical InstituteTY “institutions” along with other desperate conceptual artists across the country because I don’t know what else to do! I’m an artist and a teacher, born to teach, but because of the current state of the economy and the teaching market, I feel STUCK. I come to school every week only to watch you s#Itt Technical Institute down the throats of good people again and again with your promises of “STUDENT SUCCESS”, as you mockingly PREY ON THE ECONOMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY DISADVANTAGED as they so hopefully chase the American Dream your marketing team has so successfully packaged. F#@K YOU ART INSTITUTE!! F#@K YOU ITT TECH!! F#@K YOU UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX!! YOU’RE A SCAM!! While working for you it has become clear that I’m working for the 1%, which makes me and all the other teachers there part of the problem!!! I want to quit, but I feel I can’t right now! I hate it but I need it!

With Goldman’s Foray Into Higher Education, A Predatory Pursuit Of Students And Revenues
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/14/goldman-sachs-for-profit-college_n_997409.html

Education Department Proposes To End Federal Funding To For-Profit Colleges Whose Students Can’t Get Jobs Or Repay Their Loans
www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/23/federal-colleges-funding-jobs-loans_n_657821.html

For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds
www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/education/04education.html

THE NEW POOR: In Hard Times, Lured Into Trade School and Debt
www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html

Frontline: College Inc.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/collegeinc/

. . .

(38) PEPPER MINT, NOT PEPPER SPRAY!!

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Description
in solidarity with those assaulted at #UCDavis, #occupySeattle, and #occupyPortland

Keywords: experimental music, experimental performance, dance, occupation, peppermint, pepper spray, binaca, fresh breath, assault, peaceful protest, what the fuck are you thinking, occupyLA, occupyWallStreet, occupyEverything

Duration: fresh breath minutes

# of Performers: the more the mintier

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your mouth, your breath, binaca

Score / Notes

borrow or steal some binaca peppermint-flavored breath-freshener spray
from a CVS or RiteAid or similar chain conglomerate.

then, whenever you see a peace officer in full or partial riot gear,
pause your peaceful chants for a moment, and within sight of them,
freshen up with two or three refreshing blasts of peppermint spray,
in solidarity with the UC Davis students who were assaulted with pepper spray on November 18th, 2011

resume your peaceful chants

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/PepperMintNotPepperSpray

. . .

(37) #occupyBooks (for the 5554 books from the Peoples Library the NYPD destroyed on Nov 15)

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Keywords: experimental music, experimental performance, dance, occupation, books, no more shelves, read-in, pass them out, peoples library, distributed special collections, occupyLA, occupyWallStreet, occupyEverything
Duration: forever
# of Performers: everyone

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your body, your bag, books

Score / Notes
carry a few books with you where ever you go and offer them to people

or/and

put write or stamp or stick stickers on all your books that declare them as part of the Peoples Library and/or that they belong to the 99% and should not be stored on shelves but should be circulated and read

or/and

take several books with you on busses and/or trains or/and buss stops and give them to people

or/and

take all your books to a public places and leave them with a sign that debates for and against education reform

or/and

(sequentially) mail a someone a page of a book every day or maybe mail everyone a book

or/and

a read-in in a public space and/or a bank or/and a public school and/or a corporate bookstore a public discussion about education and/or corporate news headquarters

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/OccupyBooksForThe5554Books…

. . .

(18) Hackey Sack Tournament (for the people of Oakland)

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your body

Score / Notes

Hackey Sack Tournament (for the people of Oakland)

in support of the victims of the recent #occupyOakland police assault

conduct hackey sack tournaments across the country
using either regular hackey sacks
or the spent bean-bag rounds shot at protesters in Oakland

 

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/HackeySackTournamentForThePeopleOfOakland

. . .

(42) With Blue Hands

Mikal Czech
(2011)

Keywords: experimental music, experimental performance, dance, occupation, occupyLA, occupyWallStreet, occupyEverything, handcuffs, jail, restricted range of motion, solidarity, nose scratch
Duration: 9 hours, til your hands turn blue, til your wrists bleed, until you decide not to do it any more minutes
# of Performers: two or more

Materials / Instrumentation / Performers
your body

Score / Notes
any action performed while holding ones hands behind their back as if zip-tied / handcuffed together. interactions between others in the same predicament are encouraged.

possibly: taking off another person’s jacket, clapping, scratching someone’s nose, picking something up off the ground, sitting down, standing up, going pee, making a peanut butter jelly sandwich, perform another text-based score, using a computer, having sex, gardening, combing someones hair…

• this score could also be performed with the performers actually handcuffed

 

https://uploaddownloadperform.net/MikalCzech/42WithBlueHands

. . .

Since the beginning of her career, Mikal Czech has pioneered the use of written performance scores as a conceptual art form. The score has been both her subject and medium. Exploring the physical and mental limits of her scores, she has withstood [mostly] boredom in the quest for emotional, spiritual, social and political transformation – but in a good way. Czech has presented her scores online at Upload .. Download .. Perform . net and in solo exhibitions at major institutions in the U.S., Europe, and New Zealand. Her work has also been included in many large-scale international group exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1976 and 1997) and Documenta V, XI, and XVII. She was awarded the Golden Cougar for Best Artist at Live in Your Head: When Arousal Become Form, and in 2003 received a Plessy for her work in References Up the Ass, curated by Asher Hartman at the Getty Villa. As a vital member of the pioneering Peaceful Association of Radical Teachers and Y’mamas, co-founded with Adrian Rogers, Lacey Bergins and Chris Burden, Czech created some of the most historic early unspectacular pieces and continues to make important durational works. For the last eight years she has been putting her efforts exclusively towards “destroying civilisation as we know it, but in a positive way” and her much anticipated exhibition Biennale Treennale (a solo green-energy-powered show) is scheduled to debut in 2022 at a secret location. She is currently a co-organizer of the Party Art Biennale 2012 which will be installed as a permanent installation and gift store at the Guggenheim Dildao.