А. Монастырский, Н. Панитков, И. Макаревич, Е. Елагина, С ...

Viewers
I.Kabakov, V.Sorokin, I.Nakhova, I.Bakstein, N.Abalakova, A.Zhigalov, E.Zhigalova, M.Chuikova,
S.Anufriev, E.Gorokhovsky, Nina, V.Naumets, V.Zakharov, D.Prigov, A.Prigov, Yu.Leiderman, G.Witte,
S.Haensgen, I. and S. Kopystyansky, N.Alexeev
34. DESCRIPTION OF AN ACTION
N.Panitkov stood on a snowy field‘s verge, his back at the forest, two ropes attached to his belt on the
right and left sides, both initially unreeled at length of 75 meters.
S.Romashko (on the right) and A.Monastyrski (on the left) were moving back and forth across the field
for 15 minutes, holding other ends of two ropes and coordinating their presence in Panitkov‘s eyesight by
his signals: he pulled the ropes when Romashko or Monastyrski entered his peripheral zones of visual
differentiation, and when they left them. Therefore, a permanent influence was generated, similar to a
swinging pendulum, affecting marginal visual perception and peripheral attention in lateral areas of
Panitkov‘s eyesight. Panitkov‘s objective was to stand still in the course of the whole action without
moving his head or eyes, and look with intensity at the distant corner of the field and tape using a recorder
his impressions of observing the empty white space in front of him. Panitkov was aware of this part of
action.
15 minutes later Monastyrski blew a whistle to signal, then Monastyrski and Romashko left Panitkov‘s
eyesight and headed to the forest. They both unreeled their ropes to full length (100 meters each), put on
white robes, and, moving in semicircle, exchanged positions, leaving Panitkov‘s eyesight again. By the
same signal (before the appearance of two white robed figures on the field) Panitkov turned the cassette in
his recorder to another side, and on two figures‘ moving towards each other and entering his eyesight
(after the second whistling signal), turned on the recorder in playback mode. The action‘s final, i.e. the
appearance of robed figures, their movement in semicircle, as well as the content of the recording was not
known to Panitkov before the action‘s start.
The recording contained sounds of rhythmic tapping (palm on chest), this sound was overlapped from
time to time by gradually amplifying and fading vibrating noise of a one-tone resonating Chinese mouth
harp. This part of the recording lasted 4 minutes, then, after a 5 seconds interval, appeared another, louder
buzzing noise (sound of a working electric shaver very close to microphone). This sound was then
overlapped by loud continuous ringing of an electrical door bell. It kept ringing even after the buzzing
sound faded.
In the course of the whole action behind Panitkov‘s back 15 meters away from him there was I.Kabakov,
unaware of either the action‘s plan or objectives, who was describing everything to a tape recorder.
Moscow region, Savyolovskaya railway line, field near village Kyevy Gorki
19 th of February 1984
A.Monastyrski, S.Romashko, N.Panitkov, I.Kabakov, I.Makarevich, G.Kizewalter, E.Elagina
35. THE VOICES
On the day before the action Monastyrski and Romashko recorded their conversation (45 minutes) which
concerned the last year‘s action titled "Description of an Action" and the forthcoming "The Voices"
during which the recording was to be used (see "The Dialogue"). In the course of the action which took
place indoors (at Monastyrski‘s apartment) Romashko and Monastyrski put on headphones and while
listening to the recorded conversation, they started simultaneously vocalizing it for the audience.
Romashko repeated Monastyrski‘s words on the cassette, and vice versa.
At the same time a recording of I.Kabakov‘s voice made during "Description of an Action" was being
played back through speakers. After finishing vocalizing the dialogue, the participants put off the
headphones and switched off the tape recorder playing back I.Kabakov‘s spoken report. Then