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littlemissartypants:

Tehching Hsieh, One Year Performance (Cage Piece). 1978-79.

“For “Cage Piece” Hsieh built a cage from pine dowels and two-by-fours in a corner of his TriBeCa studio, furnishing it with a bed, a blanket, a sink (no toilet) and a pail, as well as some personal hygiene items. He entered the cell on Sept. 30, 1978. Robert Projansky, his lawyer, locked the door and affixed it and each dowel with paper seals that he signed. Every day a friend delivered food and dealt with the artist’s refuse. And each day the friend took a photograph of Hsieh, who had shaved his head at the beginning.

For the next year Hsieh was mostly alone with his thoughts: no talking, reading or writing; no radio or television. On designated days once or twice a month his loft was open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; people could visit it like a gallery and see the work in progress. On Sept. 29, 1979, Projansky returned, verified that none of the seals had been broken, and Hsieh left his cell.” - New York Times article

(via penguinist)