Orders of Law in theOne Year Performancesof Tehching Hsieh

Abstract

AbstractIn 1978, Tehching Hsieh began the first of his One Year Performances, in which he subjected himself to conditions of extreme deprivation or banality over the course of a single year. Accompanying each performance were voluntary written pledges to uphold various behavioral restrictions, the language and format of which strongly resembled that commonly used in legally binding contracts. The lengths that Hsieh took to fulfill his obligations recalled the doctrine of good faith, or the legal duty of parties in a contract to deal with each other fairly and honestly. The strong resonance between Hsieh’s performances and the law suggests a model of artistic agency that emphasizes the necessity of holding oneself accountable to higher standards of scrutiny. It also highlights art’s potential as a medium through which to consider what and how the law specifically means.