Gift(ing) for/with Coco

Is there is such a thing as a truly unconditional gift, one which doesn’t generate —or emerge from— a sense of debt? Is a gift genuine only if it’s offered anonymously and without a motivation or expectation of any kind of return (be it a countergift, gratitude, recognition, praise, approval…)? Or is there a way to develop a free-gifting practice that doesn’t demand (the impossibility of) absolute altruism?

An(other) experiment comes to body: devise and perform an absolutely excessive gift for someone who is not able to recognize the offer as such, and therefore has the absolute freedom to reject it (like for example, a non-human). Make sure it contains the possibility of seriously damaging the reputation of the giver.

 

(More details coming soon.)

 

Part of Thomas Lehmen's "A Piece for You" project and presented at Uferstudios in the frame of the Ausufern Festival. Photos by Holger Korten. Special thanks to Thomas Lehmen, Jana Elhardt, Ailin Formia, Birte Hendricks, Lisa Hoffman, Astrid Raguse, Rubina Uenzelmann, Maria Wollny.
Gift(ing) for/with Coco | 2017 | co-laborings, creaturings, giftings, works, – all –