14. FOR A. MONASTYRSKI

Eight participants of the action formed a line at a distance of 15 footsteps away from each other, facing the viewer (A.Monastyrski). The scene laid in snowy field, verging on a forest at one side. A.Monastyrski stood facing the fourth participant at a distance of 20 footsteps from him.

Before the very beginning of the action Monastyrski had been given a tape recorder and instructed to turn on playback at command. Further instructions concerning actions of other participants and Monastyrski were recorded on the tape.

The commands (see appendix) were given to each participant in sequence with an interval, thus the movements of several participants occurred simultaneously while Monastyrski was observing simultaneous movement of the whole group according to a plan unknown to him.

10 minutes after the beginning the first command for Monastyrski followed, requiring him to move from “observation area” to pre-arranged position on primary line of other participants’ initial location. Thus, the preset timing (10 minutes) between the group’s movements and Monastyrski’s movement remained in the course of the whole action and became apparent in the end, when all the participants disappeared in the woods, and Monastyrski moved alone in the field, following commands on the tape (accordingly, intervals between commands for lone Monastyrski were extended).

Walking across the field required demanded much physical effort, as depth of the snow measured up to 60 centimeters.

The participants’ footprints in snow were supposed to copy the prearranged “movement scheme”, but altered it due to natural causes.

The action lasted 30 minutes.

 

Paveletskaya railway line, Rastorguevo station

16th March, 1980

N.Panitkov, N.Alexeev, E.Elagina, I.Makarevich, V.D., S.Romashko, I.Yavorsky.