Disturbance in Public

Concept:

To create a disturbance in public and study people's reactions.

Inspiration:

At the MoMA, I had walked past an incident with two parents and a child with Down's syndrome. The exact reason for the scene cause by the family was unclear- either the child was failing to cooperate with the parents or the parents were forcing the child to do something he didn't want to. I had decided to ignore the scene and walk away. However, I noticed someone else watching the disturbance that was happening. I started to wonder why I hadn't bothered to care. Was it wrong to stare and be bothered by the disturbance?

Detail:

Viewers see parents punishing/scolding a child for his/her behavior. Viewers may wrongly perceive that because the child has done something wrong, that is why he or she is being punished. The child may be mentally challenged. Hidden cameras will be set up around the staged event.

Costumed people on subway

Purpose:

To give someone an alien feeling within an enclosed space using costumed people.

Detail:

Group of artists/actors dress in animal costumes using make up and realistic fur. Costumes are made to look realistic. No Halloween costumes. Fill up 90% of one train cart. When people enter the train, cameras are set up to capture their reactions. The artists will act indifferent to the train passengers, avoiding interaction with them. However, the artists will observe the passengers discretely. Viewers/train passenger is supposed to feel uncomfortable, weird, and out of place.

Inspiration:

The inspiration for this piece comes from a self-realization while sitting on a NYC subway ride, that everyone is different. Though we are all humans, our personality and our mental states are very different from each other. Everyone has their own habits, their own ideas, doing their own thing and when they surround you and sit next to you, it can give a scary and eerie feeling.
Location: Subway, Airplane, Store, small public area.