ČITA ONA (ČITA ON)
ČITA ONA (ČITA ON)
"ČITA ONA (ČITA ON)",
a site- & time-specific performance
(Komiža, 2014)
The performer is sitting in front of the Reading Room (Čitaona) on the main port street of Komiža, reading The Economist magazine.
On the table a fish appears to be reading a menu-like document entitled "Kapital (Karl Marx)", displaying the following quote from this work in Croatian and English translation:
"Kao vrijednosti,
sve su robe samo
određene mjere
vremena opredmećenog
rada"
"The value
of a commodity
is determined by its
socially necessary
labour time"
(K.Marx, Kapital)
After (and as a previously unplanned result of) 45 minutes of reading random articles in The Economist, drinking water and wine alternatively, as well as conversing with passers-by, the performer slowly takes the fish into his mouth (2:10). After a while he crushes the head of the fish in his mouth (3:45), while still reading the magazine. He then walks over the Riva port walkway, and spits the crushed fish into the sea.
Shortly before the performance, the Reading Room of Komiža (so far used for cultural and social activities) was closed down due to a legal dispute between a supermarket chain (new owner of the the real estate) and the Komiža municipality.
NOTE: "Čita ona (čita on)" means "She is reading (he is reading)."
Komiža (Croatia), September 9, 2014
Video & photo by Peter Mišic petermisic.com/
Video editig by pETER Purg
