What is the difference between "Performance", "Action Art", "Installation Art" and Video Art?

When the artist or the body of the artist is in focus, so the acting is part of the artwork, it's a performance. When the artist isn't visible but it's still about people and when it's that fast changing in time that you can see the "Beginning" and then "End", than it's "Action Art" (Happaning is kind of outsourced - not directed by a single artist but by many). Installation is when you can't see it "changing" in time, so it looks always the same, or can be at least restored, and when it's about objects.

However even still some installations like "My Breath rests here" ("Hier ruht mein Atem") have some performance character (at least in the creation phase), but than again not really, because than "the painting of a painting" could be also a performance, so it's more about the focus.

A recorded and shown as a video performance, without real life viewer and the interaction with the viewer like "The 30 € truth" or "Crying for this Video" for example is a video. (Definition by Bieniek)

Installation from the contents of the wallets of the exhibition visitors. Palazzo Carminatti, Venice, Italy.

"Picture of Equality/Picture of Differance", Action Artby Sebastian Bieniek, Venice, 2001. Bieniek asked every visitor to give him his complete wallet and he pinned on the wall what was inside - and every visitor trusted him and gaved him his complete walled. You can see: money, ID cards, telefon numbers, condoms, photographs... on the wall.

During the opening of the exhibition, which took place on June 6th, 2001 in Palazzo Carminatti in Venice in collaboration with the Venice Biennale, Sebastian Bieniek decided to create a work that was created through interaction with the exhibition visitors.

The artist first labeled one wall in the exhibition room with the text "Picture of Equality" and the opposite wall with the text "Picture Of Differance". When the first visitors entered the room, he asked them to give him their wallets for the duration of the vernissage. With the help of the contents of the wallets, the artist built an installation. It consisted of the contents of the visitors' wallets, with the wallet contents hung on one wall (Picture Of Equality) that were the same everywhere (such as ID cards, money) and the contents on the other wall (Picture Of Differance) was hung in a row, which was different (in the sense of unique, which was only present in a wallet, such as certain tablets). Lists of the contents of the wallets were posted next to them.

Bieniek asked every visitor to give him his complete wallet and he pinned on the wall what was inside - and every visitor trusted him and gaved him his complete walled. You can see: money, ID cards, telefon numbers,

condoms, photographs... on the wall.

Bieniek asked every visitor to give him his complete wallet and he pinned on the wall what was inside - and every visitor trusted him and gaved him his complete walled. You can see: money, ID cards, telefon numbers,

condoms, photographs... on the wall.

Bieniek asked every visitor to give him his complete wallet and he pinned on the wall what was inside - and every visitor trusted him and gaved him his complete walled. You can see: money, ID cards, telefon numbers,

condoms, photographs... on the wall.

Bieniek asked every visitor to give him his complete wallet and he pinned on the wall what was inside - and every visitor trusted him and gaved him his complete walled. You can see: money, ID cards, telefon numbers,

condoms, photographs... on the wall.