Events by Ben Vautier
Radio
Performers and audience listen to a play over the radio.
1961
Theft
A theft is announced and the audience is searched.
1961
Police
Performers disguised as police officers push the audience to the stage.
1961
Smile
5 performers walk about smiling.
1961
Strike
After the audience is admitted to the theater and seated, a member of the
actors' union gives a 5- minute talk on low wages and announces a 3-hour
strike.
1962
Drink 1
While other pieces are being performed, one performer sits drinking in
a corner of the stage. He gets drunk and starts being a nuisance.
1962
Drink II
Performers drink as much as they can drink, as fast as possible.
1962
Shower II
A performer sits on a chair in the center of the stage holding a fire hose
and does nothing. On hearing the audience begin to complain, he shouts
"Go!" The water is turned on. The performer soaks the audience.
1962
Telephone
Using a telephone placed on stage with a monitor hooked up to a loud speaker,
the performer makes one of the following calls:
1) Call the police and talk as long as possible.
2) Call the president of the country.
3) Call the local newspaper with false news.
1962
The Others
Various people such as blind beggars, drunks, bums, tramps, etc., are invited
to a meeting they know nothing about. They are led onto the stage by way
of a back entrance. When all are assembled on stage, the curtain is raised.
1962
They
Spoerri, Isou, Kaprow, Higgins, Patterson and Vautier accept an invitation
to live imprisoned in a cage for 48 hours. The audience watches.
1962
Make Faces
20 performers grimace at the audience, making faces and vulgar gestures
until the audience expresses protest.
1962
Wet
Performers throw wet objects into the audience.
1962
Nothing
Performers do nothing.
1962
Sale
Performers sell the theater.
1962
Run
A performer runs about, around and through the audience until completely
exhausted.
1963
Mystery Food
Performers eat a meal that cannot be identified by anyone.
1963
Apples
4 performers eat 4 apples.
1963
Monochrome for Yves Klein
Performer paints a large white panel black.
1963
Monochrome for Yves Klein, Fluxversion I
Performer paints a movie screen with nonreflective black paint while a
favorite movie is being shown.
1963
Monochrome for Yves Klein, Fluxversion II
An orchestra, quartet or soloist, dressed in white, plays a favorite classic.
A fine mist of washable black paint rains down during the performance.
Performers continue to play as the scores and music stands, their instruments
and clothes slowly turn from white to black. The performance ends when
no performer can read the notes.
1963
Meeting
4 people who have never met are invited on stage to talk to each other
for 20 minute or more.
1963
Verbs
Performers enact different verbs from a book of verbs.
1963
Bathtub
As many performers as possible jam themselves into a bathtub.
1963
Push
10 to 20 performers push each other from the stage nonviolently until only
2 performers are left.
1963
Hens
3 hens are released and then caught.
1963
Lesson
Like a classroom teacher with a blackboard, performer gives a lesson to
other performers on a subject such as geography, Latin, grammar, mathematics,
etc.
1963
Curtain I
After the traditional 3 rings or 3 knocks, the curtain doesn't go up. Rings
or knocks are repeated 10 time, 20 times, 100 times, 1000 times for 2 hours,
but the curtain never goes up.
1963
Curtain II
A noisy performance takes place behind a closed curtain. Curtain is raised
only for a bow.
1963
I Will be Back in Ten Minutes
Performer positions a poster on the stage announcing, "I will be back in
10 minutes!" and goes across the street to have a cup of coffee.
1963
Look
The performer looks at an object (a piano, for instance) in as many different
ways as possible.
1964
Ben's Striptease
A naked performer enters an entirely darkened stage. The lights go on for
a fraction of a second.
1964
Hold-Up
A real hold-up is enacted in the theater. As much loot as possible is stolen
and taken away by thieves.
1964
Gestures
1st performer positions a table on the stage.
2nd performer positions a suitcase on the table.
3rd performer takes the suitcase off the table.
4th performer takes the table off the stage.
1964
Choice
4 identical objects are placed on the stage. 3 performers enter. Each chooses
one of the objects, and leaves after choosing, taking the object away.
The last object remains on the stage.
1964
Tango
The audience is invited to dance a tango.
1964
Orders
One performer seated at a table on the stage gives orders such as "get
up," "run," "jump," etc., to 20 performers seated among members of the
audience. The audience is free to join in.
1964
Expedition
Light but very voluminous packages are carried by performers from the stage
through the audience to the exit, through crowded street, onto street cars,
etc.
1964
Supper
The curtain is raised. A large table set with food, drink, flowers and
candles is displayed on stage. 10 well dressed performers carrying instruments
enter, bow, and seat themselves behind the table. They lay down their instruments.
2 waiters begin to serve food and wine. Performers begin to eat, drink
and talk. After a few minutes, the audience can also be offered food and
drink.
1965
Piano Concerto No. 2 for Paik
Orchestra members seat themselves and wait for the pianist. The pianist
enters, bows and walks to the piano. Upon reaching the piano, he jumps
from the stage and runs to the exit. Orchestra members must run after him,
catch him, and drag him back to the piano. The pianist must try his best
to keep away from the piano. When the piano is finally returned to the
piano, the lights are turned off.
1965
Orchestra Piece No. 4
Instruments, stands and empty seats are displayed on stage. Performers
appear one by one, slowly and very silently. Performers entering from the
left must go to the far right and vice versa. Conductor enters last, just
as slowly. The whole entry should last 10 minutes. Upon completion of the
entry, the lights are turned off.
1965
Concerto for Audience by Audience
The audience is invited to come to the stage, take instruments that are
provided to them, sit on the orchestra seats and play for 3 minutes. If
the audience does not respond to the invitation, instruments should be
distributed to them.
1965
Three Pieces for Audiences
1. Change places.
2. Talk together.
3. Give something to your neighbor.
1964
Audience Piece No. 1
Audience is locked into the theater. The piece ends when they find a way
out.
1964
Audience Piece No. 2
The curtain remains closed. At the exit, leaflets are distributed saying,
"Ben hopes you enjoyed the performance."
1964
Audience Piece No. 3
An announcer asks the audience to follow a guide. The guide leads them
to another theater to watch an ordinary play or movie.
1964
Audience Piece No. 4
After the audience is seated, performers proceed to clean the theater very
thoroughly: wash floor, vacuum chairs and curtain, white wash stage, change
light bulbs, etc.
1964
Audience Piece No. 5
Tickets are sold between 8 and 9 p.m. At 9 p.m., the announcement is made
that the performance has already begun and will end at 12 p.m. At no time
is the audience admitted to the theater.
1964
Audience Piece No. 6
The stage is transformed into a refreshment area. After the curtain is
raised, the audience may come on stage to eat and dance.
1964
Audience Piece No. 7
The audience is requested to come on stage one by one to sign a large book
placed on a table. After signing, each is led away, one by one, to the
street. This is continued until all have signed and left the theater. Those
led outside are not permitted to return.
1965
Audience Piece No. 8
The audience is told that the next piece is presented in a special area.
They are led away in small groups by ushers, taken through back exits to
the street and left there.
1965
Audience Piece No. 9
Each member of the audience is led individually into an antechamber where
they are asked to undress and led into a dark theater. Those who refuse
can have their money returned. When the entire audience is seated naked
in the auditorium, a huge pile of their clothing is illuminated on stage.
1965
Audience Piece No. 10
An announcer hidden from view of the audience observes all who enter the
theater with binoculars and describes each in detail over a public address
system.
1965
Audience Variation No. 1
The audience is all tied up together using a long string. Performers in
the aisles use balls of string, throwing string over the heads of the audience
to opposite rows of performers. Balls are thrown until all the string is
used up in creating a dense web over the audience. Enough string must be
used to entangle the whole audience, tying them to each other, to their
chairs, etc., making it difficult for them to leave. After this has been
achieved, the performers leave the hall. The audience is left to untangle
itself.
Date unknown