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

While discussing the text of "Slogan–86" with N.Panitkov, we came to no solution. Then I suggested
making a plain landscape photo where the "slogan" is moved away to "invisibility" (as demonstrational
zone), i.e. the new slogan would become the next step after Kizewalter‘s Yakut slogan which was placed
in "zone of non-distinction". And instead of text of this non-existent slogan I suggested accepting the text
of preface to 4 th volume of "Journeys to the Countryside", where the question was about an action as a
space-temporal event devoid of significance.
After reaching the action scene (edge of ravine on river Vorya bank), we stretched on the ground a large
physical map of the USSR and painted over the USSR territory in black lacquer. As soon as the lacquer
dried, we started cutting out from the map black figures of an owl and a dog using pre-fabricated clichés
(drawings by Ilya Kabakov). After decorating the contours of owl and dog with golden and silver stars
and circles, we started making the "child‘s secret". Before digging a hole for the secret we took a photo of
the landscape with the "secret" spot in its right lower corner.
After digging a rectangular-shaped hole with a scoop, we put on its bottom the dog contour and covered it
with a layer of earth. Then the owl contour was put in the pit. Into the eye holes of the owl‘s contour two
lit Chinese flash lights were inserted. Then the "secret" was covered with a transparent glass with a piece
of red glass over it so that the latter was masking the flash lights. Then the whole "secret" was filled in
with earth, except of two spots glowing in red.
After the making of the "secret" the second picture of the same landscape was made, although the "secret"
location is not visible as it was behind the photographer‘s back.
Then we left the scene. Red lights in the owl‘s eyes kept shining for some time (without our presence, like
the electric bell in the "Lieblich" performance) until the batteries died out.
Moscow region, Yaroslavskaya railway line, "Kalistovo" station
19 th of October, 1986
A.Monastyrski, N.Panitkov, G.Kizewalter, M.Konstantinova, I.Nakhova
46. BEHIND THE C.A.
Three participants of the action buried in snow along the Moscow Circular Road 16 maps and fragments
of maps. The maps were spread in Losiny Ostrov (Moose Island) area (between Schelkovskoye and
Yaroslavskoye highways) alongside a leg of the road about 1,5 kilometers long, with 100-meter intervals
between maps. Most of those maps (and their fragments) were folded in either two or four, faces up, then
placed into a pit and buried with snow.
The maps were arranged in the following order:
1. Time zones of the USSR.
2. Map of the Moon
3. Railways of the USSR (upper left quarter)
4. Geomorphological zoning of the USSR (left half)
5. Edaphic map of the Earth (upper left quarter)
6. Edaphic map of the Earth (lower left quarter)
7. Railways of the USSR (lower right quarter)
8. Foreign economic affair of the USSR (left half)
9. Foreign economic affair of the USSR (right half)
10. Near and Middle East
11. Nature protection in the USSR
12. Geomorphological zoning of the USSR (right half)
13. Edaphic map of the Earth (lower right quarter)
14. Edaphic map of the Earth (upper right quarter)
15. Railways of the USSR (lower left quarter)
16. Railways of the USSR (upper right quarter)
The first fourteen of these maps were buried in snow closer to the road (10-15 meters), the last two in a
distance from it (the first in 50 meters, the second in 100 meters).