0:00:06.960,0:00:09.176 Now... 0:00:09.200,0:00:11.280 let's go back in time. 0:00:12.560,0:00:16.560 It's 1974. 0:00:17.960,0:00:20.520 There is the gallery somewhere... 0:00:21.880,0:00:23.600 in the world, 0:00:25.080,0:00:28.376 and there is a young girl, aged 23, 0:00:28.400,0:00:30.920 standing in the middle of the space. 0:00:32.759,0:00:36.080 In the front of her is a table. 0:00:37.000,0:00:41.880 On the table there are 76 objects 0:00:42.720,0:00:45.440 for pleasure and for the pain. 0:00:46.520,0:00:48.696 Some of the objects are 0:00:48.720,0:00:54.520 a glass of water, a coat, a shoe, a rose. 0:00:55.160,0:01:00.640 But also the knife,[br]the razor blade, the hammer... 0:01:01.800,0:01:04.239 and the pistol with one bullet. 0:01:06.240,0:01:09.216 There are instructions which say, 0:01:09.240,0:01:10.976 "I'm an object. 0:01:11.000,0:01:14.336 You can use everything on the table on me. 0:01:14.360,0:01:18.440 I'm taking all responsibility --[br]even killing me. 0:01:18.920,0:01:21.520 And the time is six hours." 0:01:23.600,0:01:27.400 The beginning of this[br]performance was easy. 0:01:28.280,0:01:31.856 People would give me[br]the glass of water to drink, 0:01:31.880,0:01:33.520 they'd give me the rose. 0:01:34.120,0:01:36.896 But after very soon, 0:01:36.920,0:01:40.416 there was a man who took the scissors[br]and cut my clothes, 0:01:40.440,0:01:44.440 and then they took the thorns of the rose[br]and stuck them in my stomach. 0:01:44.920,0:01:49.280 Somebody took the razor blade[br]and cut my neck and drank the blood. 0:01:49.960,0:01:51.680 And I still have the scar. 0:01:52.720,0:01:55.280 The women would tell the men what to do. 0:01:56.000,0:02:00.816 And the men didn't rape me[br]because it was just a normal opening, 0:02:00.840,0:02:02.536 and it was all public, 0:02:02.560,0:02:04.936 and they were with their wives. 0:02:04.960,0:02:07.216 They carried me around[br]and put me on the table, 0:02:07.240,0:02:09.136 and put the knife between my legs. 0:02:09.160,0:02:12.800 And somebody took the pistol and bullet[br]and put it against my temple. 0:02:13.560,0:02:17.560 And another person took the pistol[br]and they started a fight. 0:02:18.920,0:02:21.656 And after six hours were finished, 0:02:21.680,0:02:24.176 I... 0:02:24.200,0:02:27.336 started walking towards the public. 0:02:27.360,0:02:28.576 I was a mess. 0:02:28.600,0:02:32.920 I was half-naked, I was full of blood[br]and tears were running down my face. 0:02:34.040,0:02:36.880 And everybody escaped, they just ran away. 0:02:37.280,0:02:42.280 They could not confront myself,[br]with myself as a normal human being. 0:02:42.760,0:02:44.080 And then -- 0:02:45.080,0:02:46.560 what happened 0:02:47.240,0:02:51.720 is I went to the hotel,[br]it was at two in the morning. 0:02:53.080,0:02:54.760 And... 0:02:55.680,0:02:57.880 I looked at myself in the mirror, 0:02:58.520,0:03:02.320 and I had a piece of gray hair. 0:03:04.080,0:03:05.440 Alright -- 0:03:06.000,0:03:08.040 please take off your blindfolds. 0:03:10.760,0:03:13.040 Welcome to the performance world. 0:03:13.520,0:03:16.880 First of all, let's explain[br]what is the performance. 0:03:17.840,0:03:20.376 So many artists,[br]so many different explanations, 0:03:20.400,0:03:23.160 but my explanation[br]for performance is very simple. 0:03:23.640,0:03:28.216 Performance is a mental[br]and physical construction 0:03:28.240,0:03:31.056 that the performer makes[br]in a specific time 0:03:31.080,0:03:34.376 in a space in front of an audience, 0:03:34.400,0:03:36.720 and then energy dialogue happens. 0:03:37.280,0:03:40.800 The audience and the performer[br]make the piece together. 0:03:41.600,0:03:45.360 And the difference between[br]performance and theater is huge. 0:03:46.240,0:03:49.696 In the theater, the knife is not a knife 0:03:49.720,0:03:51.640 and the blood is just ketchup. 0:03:52.040,0:03:56.576 In the performance,[br]the blood is the material, 0:03:56.600,0:03:59.896 and the razor blade or knife is the tool. 0:03:59.920,0:04:03.816 It's all about being there[br]in the real time, 0:04:03.840,0:04:05.696 and you can't rehearse performance, 0:04:05.720,0:04:10.040 because you can't do many[br]of these types of things twice -- ever. 0:04:11.360,0:04:13.856 Which is very important,[br]the performance is -- 0:04:13.880,0:04:18.176 you know, all human beings[br]are always afraid of very simple things. 0:04:18.200,0:04:21.576 We're afraid of suffering,[br]we're afraid of pain, 0:04:21.600,0:04:23.680 we're afraid of mortality. 0:04:24.240,0:04:25.496 So what I'm doing -- 0:04:25.520,0:04:29.736 I'm staging these kinds of fears[br]in front of the audience. 0:04:29.760,0:04:31.936 I'm using your energy, 0:04:31.960,0:04:37.736 and with this energy I can go[br]and push my body as far as I can. 0:04:37.760,0:04:41.336 And then I liberate myself[br]from these fears. 0:04:41.360,0:04:42.656 And I'm your mirror. 0:04:42.680,0:04:45.960 If I can do this for myself,[br]you can do it for you. 0:04:46.720,0:04:48.776 After Belgrade, where I was born, 0:04:48.800,0:04:51.080 I went to Amsterdam. 0:04:51.440,0:04:54.056 And you know, I've been doing performances 0:04:54.080,0:04:56.336 since the last 40 years. 0:04:56.360,0:04:57.936 And here I met Ulay, 0:04:57.960,0:05:01.336 and he was the person[br]I actually fell in love with. 0:05:01.360,0:05:04.496 And we made, for 12 years,[br]performances together. 0:05:04.520,0:05:07.776 You know the knife[br]and the pistols and the bullets, 0:05:07.800,0:05:10.736 I exchange into love and trust. 0:05:10.760,0:05:14.376 So to do this kind work[br]you have to trust the person completely 0:05:14.400,0:05:17.416 because this arrow[br]is pointing to my heart. 0:05:17.440,0:05:21.776 So, heart beating and adrenaline[br]is rushing and so on, 0:05:21.800,0:05:26.320 is about trust, is about total trust[br]to another human being. 0:05:27.320,0:05:29.536 Our relationship was 12 years, 0:05:29.560,0:05:33.416 and we worked on so many subjects,[br]both male and female energy. 0:05:33.440,0:05:37.576 And as every relationship[br]comes to an end, ours went too. 0:05:37.600,0:05:41.256 We didn't make phone calls[br]like normal human beings do 0:05:41.280,0:05:43.256 and say, you know, "This is over." 0:05:43.280,0:05:46.280 We walked the Great Wall[br]of China to say goodbye. 0:05:46.640,0:05:50.720 I started at the Yellow Sea,[br]and he started from the Gobi Desert. 0:05:51.200,0:05:54.576 We walked, each of us, three months, 0:05:54.600,0:05:56.440 two and a half thousand kilometers. 0:05:56.800,0:05:58.776 It was the mountains, it was difficult. 0:05:58.800,0:06:01.136 It was climbing, it was ruins. 0:06:01.160,0:06:04.256 It was, you know, going through[br]the 12 Chinese provinces, 0:06:04.280,0:06:08.096 this was before China was open in '87. 0:06:08.120,0:06:11.656 And we succeeded to meet in the middle 0:06:11.680,0:06:13.160 to say goodbye. 0:06:14.320,0:06:16.160 And then our relationship stopped. 0:06:16.560,0:06:20.960 And now, it completely changed[br]how I see the public. 0:06:21.280,0:06:24.416 And one very important piece[br]I made in those days 0:06:24.440,0:06:26.416 was "Balkan Baroque." 0:06:26.440,0:06:29.136 And this was the time of the Balkan Wars, 0:06:29.160,0:06:32.696 and I wanted to create[br]some very strong, charismatic image, 0:06:32.720,0:06:36.016 something that could serve[br]for any war at any time, 0:06:36.040,0:06:40.056 because Balkan Wars are now finished,[br]but there's always some war somewhere. 0:06:40.080,0:06:42.056 So here I am washing 0:06:42.080,0:06:45.856 two and a half thousand[br]dead, big, bloody cow bones. 0:06:45.880,0:06:49.416 You can't wash the blood,[br]you never can wash shame off the wars. 0:06:49.440,0:06:54.016 So I'm washing this six hours, six days,[br]and wars are coming off these bones, 0:06:54.040,0:06:57.280 and becoming possible --[br]an unbearable smell. 0:06:57.640,0:07:00.496 But then something stays in the memory. 0:07:00.520,0:07:03.256 I want to show you the one[br]who really changed my life, 0:07:03.280,0:07:07.416 and this was the performance in MoMa[br]which just recently I made. 0:07:07.440,0:07:10.776 This performance,[br]when I said to the curator, 0:07:10.800,0:07:12.776 "I'm just going to sit at the chair, 0:07:12.800,0:07:15.336 and there will be[br]an empty chair at the front, 0:07:15.360,0:07:18.856 and anybody from the public[br]can come and sit as long as they want." 0:07:18.880,0:07:20.096 The curator said to me, 0:07:20.120,0:07:22.776 "That's ridiculous, you know,[br]this is New York, 0:07:22.800,0:07:24.016 this chair will be empty, 0:07:24.040,0:07:25.945 nobody has time to sit in front of you." 0:07:25.969,0:07:27.136 (Laughter) 0:07:27.160,0:07:29.056 But I sit for three months. 0:07:29.080,0:07:31.016 And I sit everyday, eight hours -- 0:07:31.040,0:07:32.416 the opening of the museum -- 0:07:32.440,0:07:35.336 and 10 hours on Friday[br]when the museum is open 10 hours, 0:07:35.360,0:07:36.534 and I never move. 0:07:36.558,0:07:39.416 And I removed the table[br]and I'm still sitting, 0:07:39.440,0:07:41.560 and this changed everything. 0:07:41.960,0:07:44.296 This performance,[br]maybe 10 or 15 years ago -- 0:07:44.320,0:07:45.736 nothing would have happened. 0:07:45.760,0:07:50.656 But the need of people to actually[br]experience something different, 0:07:50.680,0:07:52.776 the public was not anymore the group -- 0:07:52.800,0:07:54.800 relation was one to one. 0:07:55.160,0:07:58.896 I was watching these people,[br]they would come and sit in front of me, 0:07:58.920,0:08:01.616 but they would have to wait[br]for hours and hours and hours 0:08:01.640,0:08:02.798 to get to this position, 0:08:02.823,0:08:04.376 and finally, they sit. 0:08:04.400,0:08:05.960 And what happened? 0:08:06.440,0:08:08.576 They are observed by the other people, 0:08:08.600,0:08:11.176 they're photographed,[br]they're filmed by the camera, 0:08:11.200,0:08:12.576 they're observed by me 0:08:12.600,0:08:15.760 and they have nowhere to escape[br]except in themselves. 0:08:16.240,0:08:17.816 And that makes a difference. 0:08:17.840,0:08:19.656 There was so much pain and loneliness, 0:08:19.680,0:08:23.776 there's so much incredible things[br]when you look in somebody else's eyes, 0:08:23.800,0:08:26.776 because in the gaze[br]with that total stranger, 0:08:26.800,0:08:29.800 that you never even say one word --[br]everything happened. 0:08:30.200,0:08:35.176 And I understood when I stood up[br]from that chair after three months, 0:08:35.200,0:08:36.775 I am not the same anymore. 0:08:36.799,0:08:39.576 And I understood[br]that I have a very strong mission, 0:08:39.600,0:08:42.856 that I have to communicate this experience 0:08:42.880,0:08:44.135 to everybody. 0:08:44.159,0:08:46.976 And this is how, for me, was born the idea 0:08:47.000,0:08:51.000 to have an institute[br]of immaterial performing arts. 0:08:51.320,0:08:54.216 Because thinking about immateriality, 0:08:54.240,0:08:55.696 performance is time-based art. 0:08:55.720,0:08:57.056 It's not like a painting. 0:08:57.080,0:08:59.856 You have the painting on the wall,[br]the next day it's there. 0:08:59.880,0:09:04.576 Performance, if you are missing it,[br]you only have the memory, 0:09:04.600,0:09:06.936 or the story of somebody else telling you, 0:09:06.960,0:09:08.896 but you actually missed the whole thing. 0:09:08.920,0:09:10.136 So you have to be there. 0:09:10.160,0:09:13.056 And in my point,[br]if you talk about immaterial art, 0:09:13.080,0:09:16.456 music is the highest --[br]absolutely highest art of all, 0:09:16.480,0:09:18.256 because it's the most immaterial. 0:09:18.280,0:09:21.138 And then after this is performance,[br]and then everything else. 0:09:21.162,0:09:22.696 That's my subjective way. 0:09:22.720,0:09:26.616 This institute is going to happen[br]in Hudson, upstate New York, 0:09:26.640,0:09:29.640 and we are trying to build[br]with Rem Koolhaas, an idea. 0:09:29.960,0:09:31.216 And it's very simple. 0:09:31.240,0:09:35.896 If you want to get experience,[br]you have to give me your time. 0:09:35.920,0:09:39.016 You have to sign the contract[br]before you enter the building, 0:09:39.040,0:09:41.896 that you will spend there[br]a full six hours, 0:09:41.920,0:09:44.576 you have to give me your word of honor. 0:09:44.600,0:09:46.496 It's something so old-fashioned, 0:09:46.520,0:09:49.856 but if you don't respect your own[br]word of honor and you leave before -- 0:09:49.880,0:09:51.096 that's not my problem. 0:09:51.120,0:09:53.616 But it's the six hours, the experience. 0:09:53.640,0:09:56.783 And then after you finish,[br]you get a certificate of accomplishment, 0:09:56.807,0:09:58.856 so get home and frame it if you want. 0:09:58.880,0:09:59.896 (Laughter) 0:09:59.920,0:10:01.256 This is orientation hall. 0:10:01.280,0:10:05.776 The public comes in, and the first thing[br]you have to do is dress in lab coats. 0:10:05.800,0:10:07.016 It's this importance 0:10:07.040,0:10:11.256 of stepping from being[br]just a viewer into experimenter. 0:10:11.280,0:10:13.696 And then you go to the lockers 0:10:13.720,0:10:17.016 and you put your watch,[br]your iPhone, your iPod, your computer 0:10:17.040,0:10:19.336 and everything digital, electronic. 0:10:19.360,0:10:23.696 And you are getting free time[br]for yourself for the first time. 0:10:23.720,0:10:27.096 Because there is nothing[br]wrong with technology, 0:10:27.120,0:10:29.456 our approach to technology is wrong. 0:10:29.480,0:10:32.176 We are losing the time[br]we have for ourselves. 0:10:32.200,0:10:35.496 This is an institute[br]to actually give you back this time. 0:10:35.520,0:10:36.776 So what you do here, 0:10:36.800,0:10:39.896 first you start slow walking,[br]you start slowing down. 0:10:39.920,0:10:41.856 You're going back to simplicity. 0:10:41.880,0:10:45.496 After slowing walking, you're going[br]to learn how to drink water -- 0:10:45.520,0:10:49.160 very simple, drinking water[br]for maybe half an hour. 0:10:49.640,0:10:51.936 After this, you're going to[br]the Magnet Chamber, 0:10:51.960,0:10:55.856 where you're going to create[br]some magnet streams on your body. 0:10:55.880,0:10:58.336 Then after this,[br]you go to Crystal Chamber. 0:10:58.360,0:11:01.136 After Crystal Chamber,[br]you go to Eye-Gazing Chamber, 0:11:01.160,0:11:05.256 after Eye-Gazing Chamber, you go to[br]a chamber where you are lying down. 0:11:05.280,0:11:07.736 So it's the three basic positions[br]of the human body, 0:11:07.760,0:11:09.096 sitting, standing and lying. 0:11:09.120,0:11:10.656 And slow walking. 0:11:10.680,0:11:12.496 And there is a sound chamber. 0:11:12.520,0:11:14.856 And then after you've seen all of this, 0:11:14.880,0:11:17.023 and prepared yourself[br]mentally and physically, 0:11:17.047,0:11:19.714 then you are ready to see[br]something with a long duration, 0:11:19.738,0:11:22.096 like in immaterial art. 0:11:22.120,0:11:25.976 It can be music, it can be opera,[br]it can be theater piece, 0:11:26.000,0:11:28.896 it can be film, it can be video dance. 0:11:28.920,0:11:32.736 You go to the long duration chairs[br]because now you are comfortable. 0:11:32.760,0:11:34.136 In the long duration chairs, 0:11:34.160,0:11:37.856 you're transported to the big place[br]where you're going to see the work. 0:11:37.880,0:11:39.096 And if you fall asleep, 0:11:39.120,0:11:41.656 which is very possible[br]because it's been a long day, 0:11:41.680,0:11:44.136 you're going to be[br]transported to the parking lot. 0:11:44.160,0:11:45.776 (Laughter) 0:11:45.800,0:11:48.616 And you know, sleeping is very important. 0:11:48.640,0:11:51.416 In sleeping, you're still receiving art. 0:11:51.440,0:11:55.136 So in the parking lot you stay[br]for a certain amount of time, 0:11:55.160,0:11:58.416 and then after this[br]you just, you know, go back, 0:11:58.440,0:12:00.776 you see more of the things you like to see 0:12:00.800,0:12:02.840 or go home with your certificate. 0:12:03.280,0:12:06.696 So this institute right now is virtual. 0:12:06.720,0:12:09.576 Right now, I am just[br]making my institute in Brazil, 0:12:09.600,0:12:11.267 then it's going to be in Australia, 0:12:11.291,0:12:14.416 then it's coming here,[br]to Canada and everywhere. 0:12:14.440,0:12:17.936 And this is to experience[br]a kind of simple method, 0:12:17.960,0:12:20.856 how you go back to simplicity[br]in your own life. 0:12:20.880,0:12:22.840 Counting rice will be another thing. 0:12:23.760,0:12:25.656 (Laughter) 0:12:25.680,0:12:28.176 You know, if you count rice[br]you can make life, too. 0:12:28.200,0:12:30.376 How to count rice for six hours? 0:12:30.400,0:12:32.096 It's incredibly important. 0:12:32.120,0:12:36.256 You know, you go through this whole range[br]of being bored, being angry, 0:12:36.280,0:12:40.736 being completely frustrated, not finishing[br]the amount of rice you're counting. 0:12:40.760,0:12:43.536 And then this unbelievable[br]amount of peace you get 0:12:43.560,0:12:46.016 when satisfying work is finished -- 0:12:46.040,0:12:47.840 or counting sand in the desert. 0:12:48.600,0:12:52.096 Or having the sound-isolated situation -- 0:12:52.120,0:12:54.696 that you have headphones,[br]that you don't hear anything, 0:12:54.720,0:12:57.416 and you're just there[br]together without sound, 0:12:57.440,0:13:02.296 with the people experiencing silence,[br]just the simple silence. 0:13:02.320,0:13:06.536 We are always doing things[br]we like in our life. 0:13:06.560,0:13:08.816 And this is why you're not changing. 0:13:08.840,0:13:10.296 You do things in life -- 0:13:10.320,0:13:13.720 it's just nothing happens[br]if you always do things the same way. 0:13:14.200,0:13:19.296 But my method is to do things[br]I'm afraid of, the things I fear, 0:13:19.320,0:13:20.816 the things I don't know, 0:13:20.840,0:13:23.696 to go to territory[br]that nobody's ever been. 0:13:23.720,0:13:26.576 And then also to include the failure. 0:13:26.600,0:13:28.336 I think failure is important 0:13:28.360,0:13:32.096 because if you go,[br]if you experiment, you can fail. 0:13:32.120,0:13:34.776 If you don't go into that area[br]and you don't fail, 0:13:34.800,0:13:37.800 you are actually repeating yourself[br]over and over again. 0:13:38.320,0:13:42.136 And I think that human beings[br]right now need a change, 0:13:42.160,0:13:46.256 and the only change to be made[br]is a personal level change. 0:13:46.280,0:13:48.856 You have to make the change on yourself. 0:13:48.880,0:13:51.376 Because the only way[br]to change consciousness, 0:13:51.400,0:13:53.416 and to change the world around us, 0:13:53.440,0:13:55.136 is to start with yourself. 0:13:55.160,0:13:57.656 It's so easy to criticize[br]how it's different, 0:13:57.680,0:13:59.823 the things in the world[br]and they're not right, 0:13:59.847,0:14:03.096 and the governments are corrupted[br]and there's hunger in the world 0:14:03.120,0:14:06.576 and there's wars -- the killing. 0:14:06.600,0:14:09.176 But what we do on the personal level -- 0:14:09.200,0:14:12.160 what is our contribution[br]to this whole thing? 0:14:12.960,0:14:16.056 Can you turn to your neighbor,[br]the one you don't know, 0:14:16.080,0:14:20.200 and look at them for two full minutes[br]in their eyes, right now? 0:14:21.840,0:14:26.336 (Chatter) 0:14:26.360,0:14:30.256 I'm asking two minutes[br]of your time, that's so little. 0:14:30.280,0:14:35.616 Breathe slowly, don't try to blink,[br]don't be self-conscious. 0:14:35.640,0:14:37.256 Be relaxed. 0:14:37.280,0:14:42.680 And just look a complete[br]stranger in his eyes. 0:14:43.520,0:14:45.280 (Silence) 0:15:23.040,0:15:24.680 Thank you for trusting me. 0:15:25.720,0:15:30.720 (Applause) 0:15:33.360,0:15:34.960 Chris Anderson: Thank you. 0:15:36.360,0:15:38.040 Thank you so much.