John Cage is one of the most influential artists in various fields of arts in the twentieth and the present century. Who he was, what he has done and his place in art history is no secret to art lovers, although we should mention that the fifth of September 2012(14th Shahrivar 1391) is the centenary of his birthday and a good excuse for events all over the world taking place in his honour. It is also the reason for “John Cage is happening”. This project is based on a book called “Song Books” which was published in 1970.It is a collection of ninety instructions for music, performance, movement, etc. in three volumes. In this book, Cage experiments with various innovative ideas and different objects. The audience of these pieces is as active as the artist in the process of realisation of the artwork while experiencing transformation in the conventional definitions of the functions of everyday elements. At the same time, Cage creates a platform in which the artist is not the predominant creator and the determiner who is obeying ordinary rules but, with attention to the characteristics of the elements in hand, he establishes regulations for creating a specific structure in which the artistic happening occurs. “John Cage is happening” is a collection of 12 performances based on “Song books” created by 18 artists. Some of the performances are based on one piece, some are based on a few and some are inspired by John Cage’s general idea in this book.
Pouya Ehsaei & Amir Rad
Pouya Ehsaei & Amir Rad