On 16 January 2013 Bitnik sent a parcel to Julian Assange, holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The parcel was fitted with an IP camera that filmed the journey (1 image every 10 seconds) to its destination. The parcel was also geotracked so it could be followed on a map whenever the camera wasn’t sending any images. It might be in a bag or in a pile with other parcels. After 24 hours of bated breath, the parcel finally reached its destination and Julian Assange, who threw himself wholeheartedly into postal art, gave a short performance using images and cards.
In this task performance, postal workers perform unawares and we as spectators observe a telematic passacaglia with an uncertain ending. It makes me think of the role of chance in many of the theatre pieces that interest me. As with task performances, the piece is no longer in the artist’s hands, but rather carried out by someone else playing an intervening role, which means it takes shape in an uncertain way. Since chance does not necessarily lead to a good-looking piece (the camera often sent back black images or ones that made it impossible to identify where it was), we are faced with the real challenge of the piece, the challenge Bitnik threw down to the British “system” by sending a parcel to one of the most hunted men on the planet.
It arrived. Congratulations to the Royal Mail. Free Bradley Manning.
