Elixier

de Aaron Bogart

"I'm going to do this performance with all of you. Without you there would be no performance," shouts Christian Falsnaes at the beginning of his engaging performance, Front. It is Falsnaes' (b. Copenhagen, 1980; lives and works in Berlin) relationship to the audience that lies at the core of his artistic practice. Falsnaes' idea of performance revolves around participatory pieces where the spectators and the artist work in conjunction to produce an artwork. He and these spectators have come together to produce works in a wide variety of media, including painting, collage, installation, and video. At the core of this dynamic relationship between the artist and audience are the rules, customs, and behavior that give rise to the result of the interaction. Themes of authority, submission, and uniqueness underwrite the unforeseeable and uncontrollable nature of his performances. This monograph documents these varied actions and outcomes as well as short descriptions of the works from curators who were involved in them, including Carson Chan, Catharina Gebbers, and Jule Hilgartner.