One Year Performance 1981-1982 (Outdoor Piece). Tehching Hsieh (謝德慶). Performance Art.
Tehching Hsieh (b. 1950) is a Taiwanese-American performance artist known for his series of one-year performance pieces that took place between 1978 and 1986. For his third one-year piece, from September 26, 1981 to September 26, 1982, Hsieh lived outdoors in New York City armed with only a backpack and a sleeping bag, and did not allow himself to enter any buildings or other kinds of shelter, including public transportation. During this time, Hsieh meticulously documented his movements around the city, provoking questions about homelessness, invisibility, and public/private spheres within urban space. On one occasion, Hsieh was arrested for an altercation with another man, and had to spend fifteen hours under shelter. However, on both of his court dates, the judges allowed Hsieh to remain outside of the building to preserve the integrity of his art. Hsieh’s performance piece also happened to coincide with one of the coldest winters in NYC history.
Tehching Hsieh’s One Year Performance 1980-1981 (Time Clock Piece) was previously featured by sinθ here.
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