Performance & Action Art by Sebastian Bieniek (B1EN1EK)
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)
Sebastian Bieniek made his first performance in 1996, since that time he's making from time to time performances again. Here you can see a list of the performances he made throught the years.
"Do you love me?" performance. 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?").
Performance/painting. Toasting a painting. "It's toasted", the toasted painting by Sebastian Bieniek, 2011.
"I'm not a Nazi" ("Ich bin kein Nazi"), Berlin, Sebastian Bieniek 1998