Where are you from?

1998

New York. Time Square

Part One. The question everyone asked me “Where are you from?” became the name of my project. First part, the performance involved waving the American flag in a Times Square while standing atop of overturned trash can labeled “We Recycle” with a large red button underfoot. This was a rather ironic gesture for a newly arrived in America Russian artist. Waving a Flag is a symbolic nod to Pop Art - to Jasper Johns’ American Flag and Andy Warhol’s well-known phrase “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes” and an overreaction of patriotism like “U!S!A! WE CAN DO IT!!” The red button triggered the sound of applause to further attract the attention of passersby. It is also a metaphor of the ubiquitous childhood imagery of the red button, so called “button of the fear”, on President Reagan’s desk that could at any moment start a War.

Part Two took place in the space of the known residency program “International Studio and Curatorial Program” (ISCP) during final exhibition. The installation included documentation of the performance at Times Square (video, photos, objects) as well as a new performance. This time the viewers themselves were invited to pick up the flag, climb the red stairs, which were leading to the open window overlooking still erected the World Trade Center, and express their thoughts and wishes to America.