un / till

a farmhouse art collective event score and print exchange event

about:

july 7th, 2020 marks the 8th year since the farmhouse art collective’s auspiciously titled event to continue, indefinitely. the event included interactive performances, installations, and the creation of a time capsule that was buried at that time, to be opened 8 years later. to celebrate the occasion, farmhouse art collective cordially invites alumni and newcomers alike to un/till with us. ways to participate:

a. share an event score* that addresses the theme to farmhouseartcollective@gmail.com. we’ll begin posting scores to the farmhouse website and social media on july 7th. documentation of event score performances in the form of audio, video, still image, or text is also welcomed and encouraged.

*an event score is a set of instructions for a meaningful action to be performed. the act of performing the score results in an experience that is the artwork

b. take part in our event score print exchange:
creatively render the text of your event score in a media of your choosing, making multiple copies or prints. send them to us and we’ll return a portfolio of prints by other creative beings. more details and sign-up on the farmhouse website.

c. un/till with us in person:
for those who have occasion to be in the mid-mitten. rsvp for more information.

d. any combination of the above

thoughts to un/till:
during days that time’s erased ~ space become so oddly shaped ~ shall we see what lies beneath? ~ is there diff’rence ‘tween ~ what’s buried and what’s sown ~ what’s recovered and what’s grown ~ un/till what’s next how shall we go?

The scores submitted:

constellation

look up at stars.
think about your life so far
and the people or places or moments that matter.
find groupings of stars to represent them.
write your story in the sky.

untitled score for picture books (found in translation)
find a children’s book in another language
make up your own story to go with the images
find a translation, if desired, and compare

Un/til it is Discovered...

Gather a dozen or more stones with at least one flat side. Choose stones that are approximately the size of your hand or smaller. They should be easy to pick up.

Create a mini-poster that will fit on the flat side of the smallest stone you have gathered. Create your message/image with the intention of transforming this stone into a vehicle for kindness.

Next, choose or create a symbol the size of a postage stamp or smaller. Make enough copies of your mini-poster and stamp as you have stones.

Wheatpaste your message/image onto the flat side of the stones, and let dry. Wheatpaste your stamp/symbol onto the other side of the stones, and let dry. https://www.instructables.com/id/Wheatpaste/

Leave stones on paths, in parks or other well traveled areas with the stamp/symbol side facing up. Place the stones in a way that they are somewhat out of place, but not immediately obvious.

Document your process and invite others to do the same.

know each other

to be completed with two people

silently stare
into each other’s eyes
for the length of time that you have
known each other

1 year of acquaintance = 1 minute of eye contact

when i was eight we used to slap our faces when we made mistakes (2020)

Dislodge a long buried hand gesture from your youth. You may use photographic evidence, but it is not necessary.

Rehearse this gesture until you learn to love it.

Document it in its most minute perfection. Embarrassment is acceptable.

love the other side

 – depolarize –

realize there is another side
and the people over there are not evil
(the other side is just the other side)
they're as afraid of you as you are of them

– seek understanding –

ask a lot of questions
listen intently
withhold judgment
keep asking questions

– empathize –

learn how if you don’t know already
picture an imaginary button
push it every time you catch yourself
getting angry or bitter or mean

If the Shoe was on the Other Foot

Grab a pair of shoes.
Place the right Shoe on your left foot.
Place the left Shoe on your right foot.
Go about your day until you become uncomfortable or until you get tired of ugly stares.

family tree

have each member of your family send you a handful of earth from where they live.
make a potting mix and use it to plant a tree of your choice.

recovered memory

think of a significant moment in your life that you don’t have a photograph of.
close your eyes and try to remember what it looked like, in as much detail as possible.
recreate its appearance for the camera, to the best of your ability.
take a picture of your recovered memory.

Untitled score

be in a vehicle driving on an road/highway you haven’t traveled before
get to to a place where you can’t see any buildings or any signs of civilization
pull your vehicle over and get out
walk directly into the woods for a minimum of 100 paces to a maximum of 10000 paces
sit down
close your eyes and don’t open them up until you’ve made a meaningful connection with your natural surroundings
stand up and walk back to your vehicle

more familiars

make
time
for less strangers

to be completed by introducing yourself to people outside your inner circle. Get to know them and share things about yourself

plant friend

find a plant near your home
you would not usually notice
name the plant
take care of it
until it dies
remove it from the ground
and dry its remains
ground the dry plant
into small fragments
take the remnants of your friend
and scatter them
into a body of water or a strong wind
remember

becoming someone different

analyze your daily routine
notice the repetition that occurs
make a change to one recurrence
continue changing something daily

until you become
someone different

film vs. digital

to be performed at a gathering – where the guests may not see each each other again.
set up two tripods side by side – one with a film camera, the other with a digital camera.
photograph each guest with both cameras.
at the end of the gathering, bury the exposed roll of film and the memory card – making sure to document their location.
after a set period of time, unearth them to see what remains.

lunch meet

a smartphone event for people in separate locations.

agree on a time, date, and video calling app for the lunch meet. have each person view the other one’s pantry and fridge.
based on the ingredients both people have in common, create a menu that is as close to identical as possible.
prepare and eat lunch together.

pick outfits
a smartphone event for people in separate locations.
agree on a time, date, and video calling app to pick outfits. have each person view the other one’s closets and bureaus.
select an outfit from the other’s wardrobe that is closest to something you’d wear on that day.
have the other person wear the selected outfit.
repeat the process inversely.

performance for a rainy day

on a day in which there is forecast at least a 50% chance of rain:
place the largest sheet of cardboard you have on hand and a suitable writing utensil near the front door.
go about your day, keeping an open window in view at all times.
at the first sign of rain, grab your materials and go just outside the front door.
write quickly on whatever comes to mind. continue without pausing until the performance has ended.

the performance ends when it:

a) stops raining
b) the cardboard runs out of space to write
c) your materials have degraded such that no further writing is possible.

document your findings.

heal

make your own confetti.
find a place close to home
where the tall buildings are.
find a way to the top or
as close as you can be.
release it into the wind.

until

select a soft pencil.
write a poem about
something painful
from your past.
erase words
one at a time
until the poem
is about
something else.
continue erasing
until the poem
no longer exists.

until.

select a soft pencil.
write a poem about something painful
over and over
on the very same line
until you find the graphite marks
are just
a
smudge.

score for cornel west

realize that the man next to you is your brother,
the woman beside you, your sister.
speak of them as such; say their name.

realize that the man over there is your brother,
the woman, your sister.
speak of them as such;
if you know it, say their name.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=568813360498745

Instructions for Sound Through an Open Window (20-70db)

Place your head out an open window.
Position yourself so that your face and ears are just a bit outside.
Imagine there is someone whom you hold in high regard or care deeply for six feet away. Slowly generate a sound for that person.
Hold the sound for a breath
Slowly increase the intensity of the sound by 10 decibels.
Repeat until you feel satisfied with the volume or duration of the exchange.

Spirit Animal Meditation

Think of two animals you identify with.
Write the names of the animals in two columns.
Under each column, list the qualities you admire in both animals.
Notice any similarities or differences in the qualities listed in each column.
Reflect on a time you demonstrated each quality.
Create a name or drawing of a new, imaginary animal that combines the best elements of each of your spirit animals.

Goldfish for PTSD

Fill your mouth with goldfish crackers, chew but don’t swallow, create a paste against your back gums surrounding your molars.
Use your tongue to scoop the paste.
Slowly let the paste slip down the back of your throat while remembering the most horrifying detail of a past trauma. Hold it in your memory.
Once the swallow is complete feel the paste bloat your stomach, inhale, exhale and remember that that time has passed but you can always start over with fresh crunchy goldfish.
Repeat.

Stretch Therapy

Bend over to touch your toes, stretching as far down as you can safely. Think of an item in your life that is causing you stress. Continue to breathe deeply. With each inhale and exhale relax further into your stretch while being mindful of your reflection.

Slowly rise up and extend your hands as far to the sky as you can. Think of an item in your life that you are grateful for. This can be as simple as the fact that you probably have two feet to stand on.

Return to neutral and shake, wave, and flail your limbs around. Move every part of your body until you look ridiculous. Focus on how good it feels to awaken and activate every part of your body.

Instructions for egrets (and other sentient beings)

Look out beyond the safety of your estuary…
Look past the boundaries that protect…
Into the sea of the unknown….
the mysterious blue sparkling and shimmering with the light of the sun.
Fly out beyond the horizon…
Look for what you hope to find.

Everyday Event Score:

a. Take Accountability
b. Forgive Yourself
c. Do Better
a. Take Accountability
b. Forgive Yourself
c. Do Better
c. Do Better
c. Do Better
c. Do Better
c. Do Better