Inspired by Kaprow’s ‘happening’. “The line between art and life should be kept as fluid, and perhaps as indistinct as possible. We learned most of the history by trusting the authorities. Humans are restricted to one single timeline and space. History is up to us what to believe. Think backward & find it fascinating that historical events are not by design.
instructions:
Take photos (use toy cameras) –low resolution
Use the photo to come up with a narrative of made-up history
Mix them up with real historical events (newspaper/narrative)
Tell an incredulous story convincingly (and with enthusiasm)
Examples: (gameplay)
Playtester 1:
PICT0677 (A photo of a man flying-kicking an iron ball)
【 A man claiming to be a descendant of Newton donated this sculpture to the MFA Museum. He recounted a family story about a true experience involving Newton: one day, Newton was struck on the head by a large iron ball that came from an unknown direction. Furious, he decided to study why the iron ball fell and hit him. This anger fueled his research, leading to the formulation of Newton’s three laws of motion. Inspired by this story, the sculpture was created. 】
Player 2:
**Pict0680 A Bunch of Statues**
【This is a record found in a donated diary, supposedly by Leonardo da Vinci, at the MFA museum.
“On October 11, while walking in the forest, the fog suddenly thickened around me, and I couldn’t see the path ahead. I had to stumble forward blindly. When the fog finally cleared, I found myself in a place I had never seen before, filled with ancient Greek sculptures, all of them incomplete. The architectural style of this place was completely beyond my understanding, and the materials hinted at something that filled me with dread—it didn’t belong to my civilization. My gaze met the head of a statue. I couldn’t comprehend what was before me, but I was deeply shaken. Back home, I fell into deep thought. I felt like I had received a new inspiration, with various truths and ideas flooding my mind. Perhaps I should start my creation now.” 】
PICT 0206
**A Corner of an Octopus Sculpture**
【 The curator of the Massachusetts Maritime Museum loves to share a story whenever he sees someone admiring his favorite octopus sculpture. He tells them that before Columbus set sail, he had a dream about a giant octopus. He told his crew he had never seen such a beautiful creature before. So, he decided to get ready for a voyage, hoping to explore all the oceans just to catch a glimpse of this amazing being.
As he traveled, he did expand our understanding of the oceans and continents, but he never came across that dream creature. His sailors insisted that finding the beautiful giant octopus was their reason for setting out, but historians didn’t really buy that explanation. So, this fascinating bit of history is only known by the curator, who is passionate about the ocean. 】
