ACTION, 2006–2018

The action Displacement Pills deals with the poetics of offering gifts to strangers at places designed for consumption: a book written by Baudelaire can be left at a sex shop booth; a $10 bill can be left on an ATM machine, or a chocolate box can be left on the shelf of a supermarket. The gift-capsules are labeled as “This gift is yours” or “This artistic act now belongs to you”. All the gifts contain the receipt of its purchase.

 

Displacement Pills aims to cause surprise and create a suspension of the shopping routine of those who interact with the work. The action considers what consumers might need or want, and issues a call to action/reflection: each person has to make a decision in order to ignore, accept or leave the gift behind. Thus, a gift-capsule might trigger reflections on decisions made in both public and private spheres (the fear of being observed while taking the gift at a store versus the feeling of entitlement of taking the gift left at an empty subway station). I attempt to destabilize the expectancy of theft occurrences by leaving gifts where surveillance systems are installed to witness shoplifting and other petty crimes. The action aims to create a poetic instability and a fleeting misdirection of the systems imbued in these locations, as well as in the mindset of those in control of the security apparatus. The core of Displacement Pills resides in the absolute lack of control over the narratives that might develop from the action.

 

Something is going to happen, at least the acceptance of the gift or its refusal; it also might be thrown into the garbage or taken back by the owner of a small shop; maybe someone will feel joy or be puzzled. No matter what develops from my action, I will not witness the interaction of the participant with the gift I am offering. This denies me any expectation of controlling the results of the action I ignite and completely dissolves any spectacular development.

 

Excerpt from The Performance Artist, by Lotta Petronella and Flemming Fynsk

USA/Finland, 2009

CREDITS

Concept and performance by Cristiane Bouger

Photography and Video Documentation by Luciana Kornalewski (Queens, New York, 2018); Carmen Cotofana and Irina Stelea (Bucharest, 2011); Flemming Fynsk (New York, 2009); and Michelle Moura and Stéphany Mattanó (Curitiba, 2006)

PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS

NEW YORK CITY, USA

2018  Displacement Pills was activated in Astoria, in Queens, New York, in February 2018.

 

2015  Displacement Pills photographic documentation was shown in the exhibition The Nudity Is Not Malicious – Video Performance, Photography and Documentation, as part of Bushwick Open Studios, June 5–7.

 

2009 Displacement Pills was activated for the short documentary The Performance Artist, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. July, 2009.

 

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2011  Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, presented by the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB. May 2011.

 

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

2006 Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros, August–September 2006.

VIDEO

2009  Displacement Pills was featured in The Performance Artist – Portrait, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. An USA/Finland independent production. For access to the full video, see Media Library.

FUNDS

In Bucharest, the activation of Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo, as part of Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, was funded, in part, by the Romanian Cultural Institute New York, and the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB.

 

Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo was funded, in part, with the support of Klauss Vianna Dance Award — FUNARTE 2006, of which the collective Couve-Flor was the recipient with the project Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The action Displacement Pills deals with the poetics of offering gifts to strangers at places designed for consumption: a book written by Baudelaire can be left at a sex shop booth; a $10 bill can be left on an ATM machine, or a chocolate box can be left on the shelf of a supermarket. The gift-capsules are labeled as “This gift is yours” or “This artistic act now belongs to you”. All the gifts contain the receipt of its purchase.

 

Displacement Pills aims to cause surprise and create a suspension of the shopping routine of those who interact with the work. The action considers what consumers might need or want, and issues a call to action/reflection: each person has to make a decision in order to ignore, accept or leave the gift behind. Thus, a gift-capsule might trigger reflections on decisions made in both public and private spheres (the fear of being observed while taking the gift at a store versus the feeling of entitlement of taking the gift left at an empty subway station). I attempt to destabilize the expectancy of theft occurrences by leaving gifts where surveillance systems are installed to witness shoplifting and other petty crimes. The action aims to create a poetic instability and a fleeting misdirection of the systems imbued in these locations, as well as in the mindset of those in control of the security apparatus. The core of Displacement Pills resides in the absolute lack of control over the narratives that might develop from the action.

 

Something is going to happen, at least the acceptance of the gift or its refusal; it also might be thrown into the garbage or taken back by the owner of a small shop; maybe someone will feel joy or be puzzled. No matter what develops from my action, I will not witness the interaction of the participant with the gift I am offering. This denies me any expectation of controlling the results of the action I ignite and completely dissolves any spectacular development.

Concept and performance by Cristiane Bouger

Photography and Video Documentation by Luciana Kornalewski (Queens, New York, 2018); Carmen Cotofana and Irina Stelea (Bucharest, 2011); Flemming Fynsk (New York, 2009); and Michelle Moura and Stéphany Mattanó (Curitiba, 2006)

NEW YORK CITY, USA

2018  Displacement Pills was activated in Astoria, in Queens, New York, in February 2018.

 

2015  Displacement Pills photographic documentation was shown in the exhibition The Nudity Is Not Malicious – Video Performance, Photography and Documentation, as part of Bushwick Open Studios, June 5–7.

 

2009 Displacement Pills was activated for the short documentary The Performance Artist,
by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. July, 2009.

 

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2011  Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, presented by the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB. May 2011.

 

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

2006 Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros, August–September 2006.

2009  Displacement Pills was featured in The Performance Artist – Portrait, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. An USA/Finland independent production. For access to the full video, see Media Library.

In Bucharest, the activation of Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo, as part of Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, was funded, in part, by the Romanian Cultural Institute New York, and the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB.

 

Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo was funded, in part, with the support of Klauss Vianna Dance Award — FUNARTE 2006, of which the collective Couve-Flor was the recipient with the project Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The action Displacement Pills deals with the poetics of offering gifts to strangers at places designed for consumption: a book written by Baudelaire can be left at a sex shop booth; a $10 bill can be left on an ATM machine, or a chocolate box can be left on the shelf of a supermarket. The gift-capsules are labeled as “This gift is yours”
or “This artistic act now belongs to you”. All the gifts contain the receipt of its purchase.

 

Displacement Pills aims to cause surprise and create a suspension of the shopping routine of those who interact with the work.
The action considers what consumers might need or want, and issues a call to action/reflection: each person has to make a decision in order to ignore, accept or leave the gift behind. Thus, a gift-capsule might trigger reflections on decisions made in both public and private spheres (the fear of being observed while taking the gift at a store versus the feeling of entitlement of taking the gift left at an empty subway station). I attempt to destabilize the expectancy
of theft occurrences by leaving gifts where surveillance systems are installed to witness shoplifting and other petty crimes. The action aims to create a poetic instability and a fleeting misdirection of the systems imbued in these locations, as well as in the mindset of those in control of the security apparatus. The core of Displacement Pills resides in the absolute lack of control over the narratives that might develop from the action.

 

Something is going to happen, at least the acceptance of the gift or its refusal; it also might be thrown into the garbage or taken back
by the owner of a small shop; maybe someone will feel joy or be puzzled. No matter what develops from my action, I will not witness the interaction of the participant with the gift I am offering. This denies me any expectation of controlling the results of the action
I ignite and completely dissolves any spectacular development.

Concept and performance by Cristiane Bouger

Photography and Video Documentation by Luciana Kornalewski (Queens, New York, 2018); Carmen Cotofana and Irina Stelea (Bucharest, 2011); Flemming Fynsk (New York, 2009); and Michelle Moura and Stéphany Mattanó (Curitiba, 2006)

NEW YORK CITY, USA

2018  Displacement Pills was activated in Astoria, in Queens, New York,
in February 2018.

 

2015  Displacement Pills photographic documentation was shown in the exhibition The Nudity Is Not Malicious – Video Performance, Photography and Documentation, as part of Bushwick Open Studios, June 5–7.

 

2009 Displacement Pills was activated for the short documentary
The Performance Artist, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella.
July, 2009.

 

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2011  Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, presented by the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB. May 2011.

 

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

2006 Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros, August–September 2006.

2009  Displacement Pills was featured in The Performance Artist – Portrait, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. An USA/Finland independent production. For access to the full video, see Media Library.

In Bucharest, the activation of Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo,
as part of
Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, was funded, in part, by the Romanian Cultural Institute New York, and the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB.

 

Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo was funded, in part, with the support of Klauss Vianna Dance Award — FUNARTE 2006, of which the collective Couve-Flor was the recipient with the project Couve-Flor Tronco
e Membros
.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The action Displacement Pills deals with the poetics
of offering gifts to strangers at places designed for consumption: a book written by Baudelaire can be left at
a sex shop booth; a $10 bill can be left on an ATM machine, or a chocolate box can be left on the shelf of a supermarket. The gift-capsules are labeled as “This gift
is yours” or “This artistic act now belongs to you”. All the gifts contain the receipt of its purchase.

 

Displacement Pills aims to cause surprise and create a suspension of the shopping routine of those who interact with the work. The action considers what consumers might need or want, and issues a call to action/reflection: each person has to make a decision in order to ignore, accept or leave the gift behind. Thus, a gift-capsule might trigger reflections on decisions made in both public and private spheres (the fear of being observed while taking the gift at a store versus the feeling of entitlement of taking the gift left at an empty subway station). I attempt to destabilize the expectancy of theft occurrences by leaving gifts where surveillance systems are installed to witness shoplifting and other petty crimes. The action aims to create a poetic instability and a fleeting misdirection of the systems imbued in these locations,
as well as in the mindset of those in control of the security apparatus. The core of Displacement Pills resides in the absolute lack of control over the narratives that might develop from the action.

 

Something is going to happen, at least the acceptance
of the gift or its refusal; it also might be thrown into the garbage or taken back by the owner of a small shop; maybe someone will feel joy or be puzzled. No matter what develops from my action, I will not witness the interaction of the participant with the gift I am offering. This denies me any expectation of controlling the results of the action I ignite and completely dissolves any spectacular development.

Concept and performance by Cristiane Bouger

Photography and Video Documentation by Luciana Kornalewski (Queens, New York, 2018); Carmen Cotofana and Irina Stelea (Bucharest, 2011); Flemming Fynsk (New York, 2009); and Michelle Moura and Stéphany Mattanó (Curitiba, 2006)

NEW YORK CITY, USA

2018  Displacement Pills was activated in Astoria, in Queens, New York, in February 2018.

 

2015  Displacement Pills photographic documentation was shown in the exhibition The Nudity Is Not Malicious – Video Performance, Photography and Documentation, as part of Bushwick Open Studios, June 5–7.

 

2009 Displacement Pills was activated for the short documentary The Performance Artist, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. July, 2009.

 

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2011  Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, presented by the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB. May 2011.

 

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

2006 Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros, August–September 2006.

In Bucharest, the activation of Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo, as part of Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, was funded, in part, by the Romanian Cultural Institute New York, and the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB.

 

Displacement Pills — Este Regalo Es Tuyo was funded, in part, with the support of Klauss Vianna Dance Award — FUNARTE 2006, of which the collective Couve-Flor was the recipient with the project Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros.

2009  Displacement Pills was featured in The Performance Artist – Portrait, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. An USA/Finland independent production. For access to the full video, see Media Library.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The action Displacement Pills deals with the poetics of offering gifts to strangers at places designed for consumption: a book written by Baudelaire can be left at a sex shop booth; a $10 bill can be left on an ATM machine, or a chocolate box can be left on the shelf of a supermarket. The gift-capsules are labeled as “This gift is yours” or “This artistic act now belongs to you”. All the gifts contain the receipt of its purchase.

 

Displacement Pills aims to cause surprise and create a suspension of the shopping routine of those who interact with the work. The action considers what consumers might need or want, and issues a call to action/reflection: each person has to make a decision in order to ignore, accept or leave the gift behind. Thus, a gift-capsule might trigger reflections on decisions made in both public and private spheres (the fear of being observed while taking the gift at a store versus the feeling of entitlement of taking the gift left at an empty subway station). I attempt to destabilize the expectancy of theft occurrences by leaving gifts where surveillance systems are installed to witness shoplifting and other petty crimes. The action aims to create a poetic instability and a fleeting misdirection of the systems imbued in these locations, as well as in the mindset of those in control of the security apparatus. The core of Displacement Pills resides in the absolute lack of control over the narratives that might develop from the action.

 

Something is going to happen, at least the acceptance of the gift or its refusal; it also might be thrown into the garbage or taken back by the owner of a small shop; maybe someone will feel joy or be puzzled. No matter what develops from my action, I will not witness the interaction of the participant with the gift I am offering. This denies me any expectation of controlling the results of the action I ignite and completely dissolves any spectacular development.

Excerpt from The Performance Artist, by Lotta Petronella and Flemming Fynsk

USA/Finland, 2009

Concept and performance by Cristiane Bouger

Photography and Video Documentation by Luciana Kornalewski (Queens, New York, 2018); Carmen Cotofana and Irina Stelea (Bucharest, 2011); Flemming Fynsk (New York, 2009); and Michelle Moura and Stéphany Mattanó (Curitiba, 2006)

NEW YORK CITY, USA

2018  Displacement Pills was activated in Astoria, in Queens, New York, in February 2018.

 

2015  Displacement Pills photographic documentation was shown in the exhibition The Nudity Is Not Malicious – Video Performance, Photography and Documentation, as part of Bushwick Open Studios, June 5–7.

 

2009 Displacement Pills was activated for the short documentary The Performance Artist, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. July, 2009.

 

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2011  Towards the Gaze and the Meaning – Works by Cristiane Bouger, presented by the Centrul Național al Dansului București – CNDB. May 2011.

 

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

2006 Couve-Flor Tronco e Membros, August–September 2006.

2009  Displacement Pills was featured in The Performance Artist – Portrait, by Flemming Fynsk and Lotta Petronella. An USA/Finland independent production. For access to the full video, see Media Library.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY CRISTIANE BOUGER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.