Gallery of Instructions
Show: all only enactments
tape things together
tape things apart
by anonymous, cambridge mass, 2003-12-03
make a hat from the 5th piece of trash you find in the dumpster. wear it as you eat lunch that day.
by anonymous, Irvine, Ca, 2003-12-03
Convince the road of the alley that it is in fact a wall.
by anonymous, 2003-12-04
Fall in love with a single brick in the wall of the alley. Ask it to move to Prague with you. If the brick refuses, kill yourself.
by anonymous, 2003-12-04
Between 9 and 10 am, develop an unreasonable expectation of a garbage bin in the alley regarding your own happiness. If the bin has not met this expectation by 3pm, never speak to it ever again.
by anonymous, 2003-12-04
Die.
by anonymous, Israel, 2005-02-18
A
by A, 2004-01-02
Spend some silent time waiting for the little rat families to scuffle about. Maybe wait with treats like old bagel parts. Are they the most attractive rats you've seen or can they be improved. ? Go to your favorite pet store and persuse the rats you feel are more attractive. Maybe they are blacker or whiter or fluffier, maybe their tails are shorter or they seem more intelligent. They should probably be closer to those cute cartoon mice, you know with bigger eyes and shorter noses. Buy 5, and release them in Alley 818 to improve stock there. Then in 3 months make bets with other Alley Abutters that your rats are superior. Collect funds reguarly, and occassionally visit with oily food treats (it's good for shiny coats).
by Alex Metral, Public Alley 701, Boston, 2003-12-04
roll something soft, something hard and something that spills down the alley
by andrea biller, Pennsylvania, 2003-12-11
stand on one leg and imagineyourself somewhere else - see it completely - be in it ,do something in your mind and when finished -stop. Change legs and notice everything in your surrounding, such as the bricks, (can count them), paper, trash, people etc. - when finished - stop and leave.
by Anne Tolbert, 2003-12-04
starting at one end of the alley, ricochet from a building on one side in a diagonal pattern to a building on the other side - with the force on a hurling projectile - continue this diagonal pattern down the alley till you've reached the other end. May be repeated in reverse direction or not....(wear padded clothing)
by Anne Tolbert, 2003-12-04
12) chalk a hope line [ enacted: 2003-12-05 14:00:00 ]
take a chalk, start writing phrases that start with 'I hope' on the wall on one side of the street (if possible about 50 cm from the ground), continue till the end of the street.
by anniea[ site ], 2003-12-05
build a shelter for a homeless women
by anniea[ site ], 2003-12-05
Hang a clothes line and on it, some clothes that need to be washed. Throw a bucket full of soapy water on the clothes, then a bucket full of clean water. Let dry.
by Ben, Bolton, MA, 2003-12-03
read the instructions
by Carol Anne Perini, Baltimore, 2003-12-10
16) obstruction instruction [ enacted: 2003-12-26 14:18:00 ]
obstruct one point of access to the alley for the number of minutes equal to the width [in feet] of the alley
by Christina Ray[ site ], Brooklyn NY, 2003-12-03
send instructions you can't complete to other people, with instructions to carry out the instructions in other alleys.
by Christina Ray[ site ], Brooklyn NY, 2003-12-04
18) yarn piece [ enacted: 2003-12-06 15:45:00 ]
tie one end of a ball of yarn to something hold the ball of yarn in your hands walk
by Cindy Rehm, 2003-12-05
spit into an envelope
by Cindy Rehm, 2003-12-05
FIND 3 OBJECTS AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT CAN MAKE SOUND WITH THE AID OF A MOTOR AND THAT WHICH YOU HAVE AVAILABLE IN YOU DWELLING. 2. STRETCH BAILING TWINE FROM YOUR DWELLING TO THOSE OF YOUR FRIENDS. 3. WASH THE ROCKS THAT COLLECT ON YOUR DOORSTEP. 4. HAVE A YARDSALE WHERE YOU SELL THINGS THAT NO-one COULD REALLY OWN.
by CRISPIN WEBB[ site ], ohio, 2004-07-13
21) STOLEN GLASSES PERFORMANCE
GO TO THIS LINK http://www.crispinwebb.com/newpage/videos/STOLEN GLASSES.swf THIS IS A LINK TO A PERFORMANCE WHERE I STOLE SOME DONATED GLASSES TOOK PHOTOS AND RETURNED THE GLASSES.
by crispin webb[ site ], MT VERNON OHIO, 2004-12-24
SET YOURSELF UP OUTSIDE WITH A CHAIR, MONEY BOX, AND SIGN SAYING SNOW BALLS FOR SALE. TRY TO SELL THE SNOW BALLS YOU HAVE MADE TO THE PASSERS BY ON THE STREET. PRICE THEM LOW SO THAT PEOPLE MIGHT ACTUALLY BUY THEM. DONATE THE MONEY TO YOUR LOCAL CHURCH.
by CRISPIN WEBB[ site ], M, 2004-12-24
TRY FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR TO JUGGLE IT DOES NOT TAKE ANY LONGER THAN THIS.
by CRISPIN WEBB[ site ], MT VERNON OHIO, 2004-12-24
STRETCH A LENGTH OF STRING FROM YOUR STUDIO OR RESIDENCE TO THE NEAREST PLACE YOU CAN BUY STRING.
by CRISPIN WEBB[ site ], MT VERNON OHIO, 2004-12-24
25) PLEASE PERFORM ONE OF MY EVENTS
PICK AT LEAST ONE EVEN THAT CRISPIN WEBB HAS SUBMITTED. AND PERFORM THE EVENT
by CRISPIN WEBB[ site ], MT VERNON OHIO, 2004-12-24
try to forget everything bad
by cyrill, dublin - ireland, 2003-12-06
try to know who i am
by cyrill, dublin - ireland, 2003-12-06
try to make me know who you are
by cyrill, dublin - ireland, 2003-12-06
Go through dumpster, along street, and following shoppers; collect only cigar butts. Add to pile in semi-public, semi-protected space. repeat until at least 2 feet high.
by Dan Lahoda, Newbury, 2004-01-06
Write "ABAJO EL TRABAJO" in big letters and in chalk. (Homage to Peruvian surrealist poet C??sar Moro 1903-2003)
by Delfin[ site ], Peru, 2003-12-06
Look up the latitude, longitude and altitude of the alley. Stand in the alley and read the location to passers by. Or, alternatively, demarcate the alley using chalk coordinates. Explore the possibilities of locating yourself and your space within the world. I am in Columbus, OH and I have no idea where alley 818 is. Even with emerging global navigation systems, it is still up to the indivitual to communicate their location / "position" in the world as important.
by Devin Moore[ site ], Columbus, OH, 2003-12-03
I think you should preserve an object in the alley as if it were something really valuable. Perhaps using shellac to preserve a curbstone in whatever state it is at whatever moment you choose to preserve it? Maybe date-stamp the piece as well? Just a thought...
by dimmer, framingham, ma, 2003-12-03
Do nothing for five minutes
by Don Boyd, Fluxus West, Ohio, 2003-12-08
Do something for five minutes
by Don Boyd, Fluxus West, Ohio, 2003-12-08
Collect all the rubbish that once held something that breathed (meat wrappings etc). Place under things that don't breathe. Lie on top, slowly breathing all the breaths that the animals can no longer breathe.
by Ellie, UK, 2004-02-21
Tend the weeds. Help them breathe.
by Ellie, UK, 2004-02-21
Judge it silently.
by Ethan[ site ], 2003-12-05
string a wreath of holly or pine needles or battery-powered lights around a forlorn object in the alley. light a menorah. think kind thoughts. visit regularly.
by flava fred, apex, nc, 2003-12-05
visit this site: http://www.know-our-enemy.net/make-your-choice/ print out the poster reload the page print it again repeat as many times as you like post the posters in the alley
by friend@know-our-enemy.net[ site ], woudln't you like to know?, 2003-12-08
use the significance of the alleys name (or lack of it) to evidence photographically the ubiquitous nature of the location.
by garrett lynch[ site ], here, 2003-12-08
Stand still (eyes closed) and make bird calls for 1 minute. Walk about for one minute in the shape of a bird and repeat (eyes open). Finally repeat the above two more times in different locations in the alley.
by Helmut von Kr??he[ site ], NYC, 2003-12-19
- place a small seed in your mouth - remove the seed - wrap the entire seed with white thread - dig a hole in a location that is meaningful to you - bury the seed - wait
by jason sloan[ site ], baltimore, maryland, 2003-12-04
lift your shirt and draw on your stomach.
by jason sloan[ site ], baltimore, 2003-12-06
Take something disposable that you have used during the day (like a wrapper or platic fork....) build a shrine to it.
by Jenny Schultz, philadelphia, PA, 2003-12-23
45) Tarkovskij piece/St. Lucia piece
Walk trough the alley with a lit candle, protect the flame with your hand. If it goes out, go back to your starting point, light the candle and walk trough the alley. Repeat until you succed.
by Jesper Norda, Sweden, 2003-12-12
Using a thick black permanent marker pen write your name as many times as possible on one brick. Repeat every four bricks horizontally and vertically as high and as many as possible. Use a ladder if necessary. Continue as long as possible or until you get arrested.
by jess[ site ], UK, 2004-01-05
Choreograph a ballet to be performed in the rain, barefoot. Wait for a stormy day, and when it starts pouring, perform in the alley with the bricks as your audience. Perform until the rain feels like it's applauding for you.
by Jezeroth[ site ], Mt. Holly, New Jersey, 2004-02-27
On the next sunny day, find the moment when the sunlight in Public Alley 818 looks the best. On the following sunny day, mourn for the passing of that moment.
by JF, Cambridge, 2003-12-03
shape clay into a vessal It is the space within that makes it useful Cut doors and windows for a room It is the holes which makes it useful Therefor profit comes from what is there Usefulness comes from what is not there Empty the alley of its alley-ness
by Jim[ site ], umea Sweden, 2004-01-05
walk until the wall,return walk until the wall,return walk until the wall,return
by joeser alvarez[ site ], rondonia/brasil (amazonia), 2004-01-29
vietn??,korea,grenade,malasia,afeganistan,iraque - don't play again,Sam...
by joeser alvarez[ site ], rondonia/brasil (amazonia), 2004-01-29
Make large ice letters that read "Caution Ice". Place on the ground. Be careful!
by Joseph Smolinski, New Haven, CT, 2003-12-04
Purchase a 22 ounce bottle of beer. Open the bottle. Take a generous swig of beer, then blow into the bottle until you are out of breath. Take a breath. Repeat. Continue until the bottle has been emptied.
by Josh Tonsfeldt[ site ], New York City, 2003-12-15
create a site for a lecture
by Julia Scher, street area or adjacent, 2004-10-18
55) protect a wall [ enacted: 2003-12-01 13:00:00 ]
a wall needs protection today
by kanarinka[ site ], boston, ma, 2003-12-02
56) decorating with flowers [ enacted: 2003-12-01 09:30:00 2003-12-08 15:04:02 ]
use flowers to add cheer to a cold, winter day
guiding thought: "Successfully mixing the traditional and contemporary requires coordination, not compromise. Color is the key." Decorating, Better Homes and Gardens, Nov/Dec. 2003
by kanarinka[ site ], boston, ma, 2003-12-02
57) label piece (homage to Yoko Ono) [ enacted: 2003-12-01 11:00:00 ]
label
by kanarinka[ site ], boston, ma, 2003-12-02
58) hello [ enacted: 2003-12-08 10:19:18 ]
hello world
by kanarinka[ site ], boston, ma, 2003-12-05
walk length of alley. walk back. walk to the middle of the alley and then travel the width. walk to the nearest wall. sit down. ponder the existence of weeds in an alley and question why or how they grow. stand back up. the duration of this dance should be less then one minute.
by Karen, oakland, CA, 2004-11-18
Collect any discarded elements found in the alley "trash" on any given day. Arrange the discarded elements in an alter type formation to re-dignify, not re-cycle
by Kathryn, oakland, California, 2003-12-03
the next time you make a cuppa tea, dont forget to make one for me, no sugar, no milk, just tea, just leave it outside in the sun, i will drink it by powers of evaporation, tank ewe...
by Keet[ site ], Tra li, Eire, 2003-12-11
62) anticapitalist dice showdown
elicit an opponent for this game. make sure both you and he/she each have an object of great personal sentimental worth (ie: note from girlfriend, football trophy, first teddy bear, wallet picture of neice, etc) and a pair of dice. your opponent rolls the dice exactly 5 times, adding together all of the numbers rolled. you do the same. the player with the smaller number wins both objects of sentimentality. a handshake completes the game.
by Lauren McElroy, Philadelphia, 2004-01-04
start 818am pose question > visitors "what is this alley to you?' record / collect data / at the entrances / exits of the alley / archive on suitable format bury in alley @ 818pm
by madigitals, uk, 2003-12-04
Drive a car into Alley 818. Get out and shovel two feet of snow on top. Take public transportation for the rest of the day.
by Mary Austin Fuller[ site ], Boston, USA, 2003-12-08
Take off your shoes and collect them in a pile.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
66) Breath piece for orchestra
Listen to the sound of your breathing.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
Mark two points on a fish tank. Let a fish swim from the first to the second one.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
Send an empty envelope to someone.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
69) Mechanical fruits and vegetables meal
Eat mechanical fruits and vegetables.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
Catch.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
71) Six pieces for solo performer
No.1 Raise No.2 Fall No.3 Stuck No.4 Skip No.5 Flip No.6 Tear
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-18
72) Shadows(from "pieces to be only read and thought about in your mind)
A shadow of a clock is easier to carry than a shadow of an invisible woman.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-19
73) Ugly piece(from "pieces to be only read and thought about in your mind")
We are all beautiful.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-19
Shoot an arrow and wait til it hits a target(the target can be anything)
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-25
Draw an up arrow on a sign and hang it on the wall.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-02-25
Speal a drink on the floor. Imagine no gravity.
by Matan Ben-Ishay[ site ], Israel, 2005-03-05
77) Cloud peace event for John Lennon
Listen to the sound of the clouds moving.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-03-05
78) Cloud peace event for John Lennon
Follow the sound of the clouds moving.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-03-07
Hug.
by Matan Ben-Ishay, Israel, 2005-03-07
Take a 4x4 piece of wood...approximately 2 feet long and paint it black. Put the wood on the ground near one of the entrances to the alley. Strike the wood with a hammer with the body count number that day at (http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/USfatalities.html)
by matthew mascotte, savannah, 2003-12-10
1::Choose any book or printout on that day that catches your eye. 2::Avoid as much human contact for a lengthy but convenient amount of time. Eat little food. 3::Enter 818 as the last reader alive. 4::Open the book or printout and read the first phrase that catches your eye. 5.Interpret
by Matthew T. Butler[ site ], iowa city, 2003-12-10
make a crowd in the alley way, draw them as sillouettes from you shadows on the walls or ground with chalk, make them with lamps, sheets, snow, trash, sticks etc. etc. etc make sure you fill the alley way as much as you can in an hour or two remember: they dont have to be more than a pair of shoes with sticks in them, they just need to take up space
by me, 2003-12-23
83) light in the alley [ enacted: 2003-12-19 23:29:42 ]
turn a light on, turn a light off
by michael crane[ site ], St. Louis, 2003-12-14
On a snow day, chase various footprints left on snow.
by Midori Yoshimoto, Highland Park, NJ, 2003-12-06
take today's paper. sit in a special chair in the middle of the alleyway. cut the most striking word or image out from each page and put into separate envelopes. mail them all, without return address to Ray Johnson, NYC, NY.
by Natalie Loveless[ site ], Boston,MA, 2003-12-19
From beginning to end walk slowly, breath deeply, think of all the deaths before now and all the births to come. With each step drop a pomegranate seed.
by Nita[ site ], Somerville, MA, 2003-12-03
Bring a camera. Ask whoever passes by to take a picture.
by Pam Rehm, ny, ny, 2004-01-25
Close both ends of the alley with a tape that reads: "no trespassing". Wait until someone breaks through.
by Pau[ site ], Spain, 2003-12-07
save all the lefovers from meals ( vegetables, fruit, egg shells,...) and build a composte square (1m2) in the alley. use it to plant veggies for your future meals. invite friends to share it with
by paula roush[ site ], london, 2004-01-03
Find memory stones. Tell stories to them. Get other people to tell stories to them. Leave them to commemorate your stories.
by Petra[ site ], Rhode Island, 2003-12-04
standing interpret liberally / strike the sun / and again
by Poem by Nari[ site ], Canada, 2004-05-25
92) Bagging it... [ enacted: 2003-12-08 10:46:15 ]
Starting at 10am on a nice warm day. Try to get as many people as possible to meet in the alley at 3pm for a group photoshoot. Just one stipulation, they all have to be wearing brown paper bags on their heads for the camera. With the exception of the photographer, you can not get help from friends, but you can solicite strangers to help gather people throughout their daily activities. You must supply the bags. How many bags do you think you will need. If you purchase within 10% of the correct number of bags, you win. and I will pay for the bags, otherwise, you pay for them. ;-]
by Remo Campopiano[ site ], Seekonk, MA, 2003-12-03
93) pebble [ enacted: 2003-12-08 13:41:17 ]
create pebble paths to help people find their way out of public alley 818.
by sharon, 2003-12-03
put up signs around alley that say, "Holiday Parade. All Welcome!" put reindeer antlers on head. march around the alley, blowing bubbles and playing holiday music in headset. repeat each day.
by silvio, rosetto degli abruzzi, italia, 2003-12-05
95) shaking off (to occur after completing an instructional piece)
With a cell phone, call a number that will be received by a an answering machine (preferably a family member, friend, or yourself). Leave a sincere message expressing strong self-doubt in your current artistic pursuits. End the message with the notion of having to get back to work. Perform a new instructional piece.
by the fluff constrcutivists, USA, 2004-01-29
Write a grocery list. Write a to do list. Dig a small hole through the snow to the pavement. Repeat. Place a list in each hole. Do not attend to grocery shopping or any to do list today. Retrieve and complete lists in the spring.
by the fluff constructivists, USA, 2004-01-29
breast-feeding (only if the performer is female) crying cutting the coat/hair cutting the nails defecating ejaculating (only if the performer is male) menstruating (only if the performer is female) removing the earwax removing the eye-rheum removing the snot spitting sweating urinating vomiting
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
Remove the sound card from your PC.
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
1. Take an Oreo biscuit. 2. Twist it. 3. Lick the cream. 4. Now dunk it in the milk... 5. and ummm...!
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
Ride BMX.
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
1. Place the guitar on a prop. 2. Light some firecrackers. 3. Insert the firecrackers in the guitar's hole. 4. Boom !
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
1. Fill the body with picks. 2. Shake!
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
Eat different kinds of ice creams listening to the Allegro from the Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05
104) SONATA [ enacted: 2003-12-05 10:00:00 ]
Allegro Andante Allegretto Allegro
by Walter Cianciusi[ site ], Italy, 2003-12-05