Performance and Photo Works, 1999

The New VW Beetle

Skive High Street, Denmark

During the period of the introduction of the new VW Beetle in Denmark I made the following performance:I drove the new Beetle to a public place like the Town Square and pedestrian area in the center of the province Skive. Got out of the car, took of my clothes except my black socks and black boxer shorts, and put on a long haired black wig. I placed a tripod with a photo camera and took three photos with the self-timer posing in different positions. I put my clothes back on and drove to a different site in town and repeated the act. At the sites people engaged in the photo session as if it was real: One was interested in a model job with my presumed company, one tried to enter the car, assuming it was there in the mission of being sold!Contrary to other street performances I have made that worked as interventions, this one evolved around the question of what constructed an ad and specifically why VW would use this particular approach in their marketing!