The Early Performance Art of Tehching Hsieh
M+, West Kowloon
Why We Recommend it
As part of the Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2025, a moderated discussion will explore the early lifeworks of Tehching Hsieh, focusing on the groundbreaking performances “Cage Piece” and “Time Clock Piece,” which redefine the boundaries of performance art.
Description
Tehching Hsieh is celebrated for pushing the limits of conceptual and physical endurance through six major performances he terms his “lifeworks.” On Friday 30 May, he will participate in a moderated discussion centred on his first two works: One Year Performance 1978–1979 (Cage Piece) and One Year Performance 1980–1981 (Time Clock Piece), both part of the M+ Collection.
In “Cage Piece,” Hsieh confined himself to a small wooden cage inside his studio for 365 days, with only a washbasin, a bed, and a bucket. A friend supplied meals, emptied his refuse, and took daily photographs. In “Time Clock Piece,” he punched a mechanical time clock every hour on the hour for a full year, restricting his movement and sleep.
The discussion, moderated by Silke Schmickl, Chanel Lead Curator of Moving Image, will include images and video clips and will be conducted in English. This event provides a rare opportunity to engage with Hsieh’s radical approach to time, endurance, and performance art.
Details
When: 30 May 2025 - 30 May 2025 Where: M+ – 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District – West Kowloon
