KOLLEKTIVNYE DEYSTVIYA (COLLECTIVE ACTIONS). THE DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THE ACTIONS, Photo and Video

JOURNEYS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. VOLUME NINE

VOYAGE TO SATURN. Photo of the performance by Collective Actions (KD)

101. VOYAGE TO SATURN

Two spectators - Yu. Leiderman and S. Sitar - were brought across the snowy field onto the hill. The hill had an even half-spherical shape. The upper part of the hill had become free from snow and it became clear that the hill was a huge pile of manure (the pile consisted of a mixture of manure and straw; when in February we discovered that hill, it had been completely covered with snow and we did not know what it was made of, although its artificial origin was clear even then due to its strict geometric shape).

Having set the tape recorder on the hill with its dynamics facing a large field covered with snow (opposite to the part of the field we came from; - we used an easel as a stand for the tape recorder) we switched it on for reproduction of sound. The phonogramme lasted 39 minutes and contained the recording of the reading by A.M. of science fiction story by G. Harrison "Pressure" (about a trip to Saturn; the story was written in 1969).

The spectators were offered to listen to the phonogramme (they were not told who the author of the story was or what the title was).

In the meantime, the organisers of the action went down the hill and proceeded towards the side of the snowy field which the tape recorder dynamics were facing.

Having walked across the field down to the border of hearing of the phonogramme (about 80 - 100 metres from the hill), we - using the cardboard as the base - spread across the snow a photocopied and enlarged up to 1 metre 82 centimetres x 3 metre (composed of four parts) sheet-scheme from the book by A. Monastyrski "Elementary Poetry No. 2. Atlas", 1975, sheet (17-18-19-20) - 29.

Then the crusts were cut out from the top parts of the four loaves of rye bread. The cut out pieces of crust were rectangular, sized 6 x 8 centimetres. Four photo frames of corresponding size were inserted into the cut out openings in the bread loaves. The photo frames contained under glass the portraits of an organic chemist Mr A.M. Zaitsev (1841 - 1910), geologist Mr. A. N. Zavaritsky (1884 - 1952), physicist Mr. N. N. Semenov (1896 - 1986) and pilot Mr A. K. Serov (1910 - 1939). All portraits were taken from the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia: volume 16 (iron - lands), 1952, and the volume 32 (samoilovka - sigillariaceae), 1955. The size of each portrait was 3.2 x 4.3 centimetres. The bread loaves with portraits were placed in the corners of the sheet-scheme.

When the object was thus arranged the organisers of the action returned to the hill and suggested that Yu. Leiderman and S. Sitar should go to the field and get themselves acquainted with the object. The tape recorder continued to reproduce the phonogramme.

After that, when the spectators returned to the hill (the tape recorder still continued to work) the factography of the action was given to them. The factography of the action consisted of the sheets No. 1 ("Map of Elements") of the "Atlas" by Mr. A. Monastyrski (sized 9 x 12 centimetres; on the other side of it there was an inscription "KD, Flight to Saturn. 2004") and of the pieces of bread crust which were cut out of the loaves in the process of the preparation of the object (sized 6 x 8 centimetres with an inscription in black felt pen "KD. 22.03.2004").

When the phonogramme finished, the spectators and organisers of the action departed from the place of where the action went on, having left on the field the object of the action (sheet-scheme with portraits, inserted into the loaves of bread).

Moscow Region, Dmitrovskoye Highway, Aksakovo

22.03.2004

A. Monastyrski, E. Elagina, N. Panitkov, I. Makarevich, S. Romashko, D. Novgorodova, M. K.