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Item: Money Performance
1979
Performance, 00:50:00.
Materials:
12.9.1979
Antwerp, Ankerrui Theatre
To address the ambiguous position of money in our society Jan Fabre plays with his audience’s money. After a number of symbolic actions with the admission fees he burns their money, upon which the enraged audience invades the stage.
'MY BODY IS A BATTLEFIELD.
My ribs hurt
and I'm covered in bruises.
I wear with pride
the blue medals I received
for my Money Performance.'
(Jan Fabre, Antwerp, 13 September 1979)
'It's 4:30 in the morning now.
It was intense.
It was an experience, my Money Performance.
I can't sleep from excitement.
Because I have the feeling my emotions
are in a mixer.
I'm still quivering inside.
From what?
From pain, because the audience
kicked and hit me?
From fear and a sense of cowardliness
because I was scared?
But the most important is
the feeling of happiness and triumph.
SIMPLY BY THE FACT OF DOING IT!'
(Jan Fabre, Antwerp, 12 September 1979)
