US vs. THEM, PEEKSKILL PROJECT I
2-day performance with Tzanko Tchangov
and Emily Rawlings
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
(HVCCA), Peekskill, NY 2004
Over 100 international artists installed site-
specific works throughout the town of Peekskill
on September 18th and 19th, 2004.
With escalating global turmoil, the 2004 pres-
idential election close-at-hand and politcal
uncertainty in the eyes of an uninformed voting
public, US vs. THEM was a 2-day public-space
performance designed to address such American
illusions and confusions; that the blue and red
platforms were essentially the same. The photo-
grapher for this project (Emily Rawlings) was
dressed in green to represent another side-
lines party.
Day 1 - Aaron Sheppard, dressed in blue, and
Tzanko Tchangov, in red, walked the streets of
Peekskill, knocked on doors and entered estab-
lishments in search of voter support. Milk
crates were used as portable "soap boxes". Each
passed out identical propoganda on colored
fliers and stickers respective of their party's
color: "CHOOSE your alliegance; BELIEVE in us;
FIGHT for freedom". "Vote for US, not for
THEM!" was the slogan heard across this land.
Fellow Americans wore stickers of their chosen
party to show their support.
Day 2 - First ladies battled it out on the
front lawn of the new HVCCA building during
it's grand opening. At an adjacent school yard,
children got involved in a blue vs. red water
balloon fight. These outspoken first ladies
then headed straight to the podium during the
ceremony speaches to get out the word of "Vote
for US, not for THEM!"
-Aaron Sheppard
project statement |
