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Tehching Hsieh

Published by marco on

Updated by marco on

 One Year Performances is a website dedicated the performance art work of Tehching Hsieh, who, during the late 70s and early 80s, did some simple, elegant pieces that tested the limits of human endurance. Each piece has a simple rule, by which he lived for one year.[1]

1978-1979
I shall seal myself in my studio, in solitary confinement inside a cell-room measuring 11'6" X 9' X 8'. I shall not converse, read, write, listen to the radio or watch television, until I unseal myself on September 29, 1979.
1980-1981
I shall punch a Time Clock in my studio every hour on the hour for one year. I shall immediately leave my Time Clock room, each time after I punch the Time Clock.
1981-1982
I shall stay OUTDOORS for one year, never go inside. I shall not go in to a building, subway, train, car, airplane, ship, cave, tent. I shall have a sleeping bag.
1983-1984
(with Linda Montano) We will stay together for one year and never be alone. We will be in the same room at the same time, when we are inside. We will be tied together at waist with an 8 foot rope. We will never touch each other during the year.

Each statement is simple in and of itself, but bespeaks incredible rigor. All of these installations—for lack of a better word—took place in New York City. The time clock experiment limited him to snatches of sleep no longer than one hour for an entire year. He kept meticulous notes on when and why he missed punching the clock when he did. He missed only 1.54% of the time and only 93 out of 8760 times by oversleeping. Incredible.


[1] The text for the statements is copied verbatim from his web site. All grammar errors are his, intentional or not.