On 21st of June I was invited to perform for a protest event in Berlin called 'Violating Democracy'.
The event was targeted at Greece's recent austerity measures, more specifically, the cuts to services that the Greek government has made in order to meet austerity targets set by the EU.
Any economist will tell you that there are two ways for a country to reduce debt - increase tax revenue, or cut spending. Increasing tax revenue targets tax evaders and wealthy people, and is a difficult and arduous task for any government, and can take a long time to see any effects. Cutting spending is quick, easy and mostly affects the poor. If enough pressure is applied, or if a government is lazy, it will take this second option.
Sometimes, if they are to services people require, the effects of cuts cause death. In the case of the subject of my performance, Dimitris Christoulas, they had the consequence of him no longer being able to live on his pension. He sadly hung himself in Syntagma Square, Athens, on April 4th, 2012.
PERFORMANCE:
The performance was in a suit, similar to the one Christoulas wore.
I stood on a small elevated box in the room.
I reached into my coat-pocket, and pulled out a gun.
Then I shot myself.
All of the lights in the room went out.
They came back on again and the performance ended.
(During the blackness, people in the room became bored. One started checking their phone. It was hot and stuffy in the room).
It was a difficult performance to make because no-one really enjoyed it, and I felt isolated afterwards.
My memory is with Dimitris. I took honour in researching his life.
Photo credits: Danae Nagel (except the shit diary one, which was myself)
The event was targeted at Greece's recent austerity measures, more specifically, the cuts to services that the Greek government has made in order to meet austerity targets set by the EU.
Any economist will tell you that there are two ways for a country to reduce debt - increase tax revenue, or cut spending. Increasing tax revenue targets tax evaders and wealthy people, and is a difficult and arduous task for any government, and can take a long time to see any effects. Cutting spending is quick, easy and mostly affects the poor. If enough pressure is applied, or if a government is lazy, it will take this second option.
Sometimes, if they are to services people require, the effects of cuts cause death. In the case of the subject of my performance, Dimitris Christoulas, they had the consequence of him no longer being able to live on his pension. He sadly hung himself in Syntagma Square, Athens, on April 4th, 2012.
PERFORMANCE:
The performance was in a suit, similar to the one Christoulas wore.
I stood on a small elevated box in the room.
I reached into my coat-pocket, and pulled out a gun.
Then I shot myself.
All of the lights in the room went out.
They came back on again and the performance ended.
(During the blackness, people in the room became bored. One started checking their phone. It was hot and stuffy in the room).
It was a difficult performance to make because no-one really enjoyed it, and I felt isolated afterwards.
My memory is with Dimitris. I took honour in researching his life.
Photo credits: Danae Nagel (except the shit diary one, which was myself)
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