Performance Art Project

For my performance piece, I decided to stand in various locations of Chicago, holding a cardboard sign that said, "Listening Ear - Tell Me Anything- No Judgement Here." I wanted to see if people would even be receptive to someone holding a cardboard sign. Heavily associated with the request of money, cardboard signs are often ignored on the streets of Chicago in hopes of avoiding confrontation with those who need help or support. Additionally, I wanted to see if those who did read my sign, would be willing to take time to talk to a stranger. Many people said nothing and at first I barely even got any glances. I said nothing to the people who passed by and kept my scarf over my mouth. Much like the performance of Marina Abramovic at Moma, I felt that without me speaking, I could connect more with everyone around me. She sat for hours in silence, only talking to people through her expressions and that inspired me. I tried to smile a little so that my cheeks would come above the scarf to give a friendlier greeting, but it was lucky if I even made eye-contact. Out of the smiles I received, the majority came from women. Out of the scowls and dirty looks I received, the majority came from women. Men were fairly passive in the time I was out there, with the exception of the man who tried to convince his significant other to participate- who then said no. I think that younger girls connected with me more and smiled, while older women were more disgusted by someone trying to get their attention. I had a woman come up with her family and tell me that I looked "so cute standing out here" and to have a good holiday. Regardless of this, I found that most adults with children walked hurriedly past to keep me away from their kids. My boyfriend helped film and standing there in silence made me think about how my appearance was coming off and things that could be different. For example, if he was the one holding the sign, I think even less people would have felt comfortable enough to approach him. When he was walking around me filming, people sometimes noticed him and looked less interested in approaching me. I felt as approachable as I could be on the streets of Chicago, and yet most people did not have the time or the desire to come up and just talk about their day or something they want to get off of their chest.

Overall, if I had to do this again, I would probably change the sign to say "just here to listen, tell me anything." It might be less confusing and more inviting for people. I would go somewhere less crowded so that people would be less inclined to use the crowd to enable them to keep walking. A more intimate setting might make people walking by feel more comfortable talking to me. I would stand by places that are surrounded with art, so that the public is already in the mindset to take something like my sign in, rather than the stigma around my cardboard sign keeping people from interacting with me. I'm glad I had this experience to help me see what can make this more successful in the future.