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)

"Do you love me? " ("Liebst Du mich?") performance by

Sebastian Bieniek, Universitätskirche Marburg, 2016.

The performance hat taken place on april, 16th, 2016, 11:00 h at the University Church (Universitätskirche) Marburg (Germany). This was his birthday (the mass had taken place to his honor) of the professor for church building and church contemporary art at the Philipps University of Marburg Thomas Erne.

I was part of the Liturgy-Specific-Art series by the "Institut for Church Building and Contemporary Art" (Instituts für Kirchenbau und kirchliche Gegenwartskunst) of the Philipps University of Marburg (Philipps-Universität Marburg).

Sebastian Bieniek went from the last to the first row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

The question and answers were transmitted to loudspeakers, so everbody could hear it, and included all variations from "yes" to "no", from from affection to dislike and from approach to rejection.

At the end when Sebastian Bieniek reached the first row, where Prof. Dr. Thomas Erne sat, he said to the artist:  "I had all the time during the performance the feeling that the Lord was really behind of me talking"

Performance by Sebastian Bieniek,  part of the Liturgy-Specific-Art series by the "Institut for Church Building and Contemporary Art" (Instituts für Kirchenbau und kirchliche Gegenwartskunst) of the Philipps University of Marburg (Philipps-Universität Marburg)

Performance by Sebastian Bieniek, part of the Liturgy-Specific-Art series by the "Institut for Church Building and Contemporary Art" (Instituts für Kirchenbau und kirchliche Gegenwartskunst) of the Philipps University of Marburg (Philipps-Universität Marburg)

Performance by Sebastian Bieniek, part of the Liturgy-Specific-Art series by the "Institut for Church Building and Contemporary Art" (Instituts für Kirchenbau und kirchliche Gegenwartskunst) of the Philipps University of Marburg (Philipps-Universität Marburg)

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").

Sebastian Bieniek went from the back to front row during the mass that took place in the University Church of Marburg

in 2016 and asked everyone "Do you love me?" (ger. "Liebst Du mich?").