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)

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin

contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

When visiting the Art Forum Berlin art fair 2016, Sebastian Bieniek, who himself wore blue shoes, noticed a gallerist who also wore blue shoes.

The artist, who had never seen the gallerist before, decided quite spontaneously and for no apparent reason to take the gallerist's blue shoes. "Thought and done," he went to the gallerist with the blue shoes, took them from his feeds and left him completely stunned and barefoot behind.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.

"Stealing blue Shoes" performance at the ABC Art Berlin Contemporary art fair 2015 by Sebastian Bieniek. The artist is stealing the shoes of an galleryist at the fair. This is probably something that should have been done for a long time.