Blackberry girl falls into fountain.

This girl (who fell into a fountain in a mall while bbming) caused major youtube hype. She was so upset that her epic fail had been turned into a youtube video that is now trying desperately to sue the mall security for releasing the footage.

So, can the above-said epic fail be labeled a 'performance'? And, does the fact that she has revealed her identity by publicly announcing that she wishes to sue the mall count as even more of a performance?

Where is the performance in this story? Who knows about it? Who is participating?

Also, on what grounds can the girl sue for this footage? Surely it belongs to the company that took it? But then, she claims that it is hers because it is OF her.

Tricky.

Owned.

Saturday Night. Cape to Cuba.

Stefan asked me what my Avant Garde piece is about. After a good few minutes of making him feel like we don't tell anyone but he's special so fine, I'll tell him, I told him that my favourite idea was the property ownership because I want to sleep on Hiddingh... He asked rather timidly if my group was getting on well. I lied badly at first, claiming to absolutely love my group, but made it subtly clear that there was something on my mind which led him to ask: "...but don't you guys all have very strong but different ideas and opinions?" Finally, I gave in; told him I love the idea on the whole but even Leila says our ideas are way to broad and that we need to narrow down. I said I think my idea has the most we can do with it in terms of performance and that the others are getting much too intellectual about it. I added a snide comment that went something like:

'I guess there are just very few of us that think laterally."

Hah. It was good fun.

Over-and-out.

Ella.

What Are We Doing?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a very simplistic level, from my understanding our group discussions, this is what we're trying to achieve:

The practical task set to us in DRM3010F: Contemporary Performance (Subtitle: Breaking Boundaries) is that we have to create a contemporary performance.

The task requires a group to break the perceived boundaries of traditional performance i.e. we must break the rules, as explained by Leila Anderson on 18 February 2011. And yet the task comes with certain rules and requirements. These include a minimum number of members within a group and that the draft and final performances must occur on certain dates at certain times. We note the contradiction therein and respond thus: We will break the rules you have set us. We will perform as and when we see fit and document it HERE.

We will go further, by questioning the nature of performance and performativity, as discussed at the introductory lecture with Mark Fleishman on 17 February 2011. We review the question of when performance occurs. Is it performance if the audience, and sometimes unwitting performers, are not conscious that a performance is in progress?

So, how do we create a piece that does this? We live a double life. We lie. We create a fake avant-garde piece exploring concepts of ownership and possession, as documented on our flog (the blog our lecturers and fellow students are aware of and have access to). They perceive that we are adhering to the task by performing at designated times etc. We interact and discuss it with them. We create preconceived and premeditated interactions amongst ourselves, that are observed and reacted upon by those around us. But it's all a lie, and in consciously lying, we are performing. In interacting with us, our lecturers, fellow students, families, friends, acquaintances, not only observe the performance, but participate in it.

That's how they get owned.

What is our Avant Garrrde?

Boom.

The findings of our first meetings.

Avant Garrrde.

"Group Practical Project

Due Friday 15 April

For this assignment you are required to participate in the creation and performance of a group practical performance project.  This project constitutes the single greatest number of marks to your coursework for this course. "

Let the games begin...x