Michael Hearn - Participatory Action (edited for 9/17)

My basic idea is kind of based on the philosophy of how being compassionate to others will not just affect them but they in turn will show compassion to others they meet, and so on and so forth. The idea here is to get a sizable flash mob and move out to a public area that is bound to have unaffiliated passerbys and people coming through. Then after they're set up, a ripple effect of hugs will occur where a hug takes place in the middle of the area and then each person turns to hug another person, and this chain will continue and spread out across the room, ideally also including people who aren't in the flash mob.

Allowing people who witness the event and then are able to participate within it is an example of the intersubjectivity of the participatory action, as their contribution to the event is tied into the idea of the event's meaning. The widespread amount of these hugs are also a directly against the social norms of systemized interactions people normally have in large areas like these where people who don't know each other would normally avoid one another. The spontaneous yet systematic and planned manner of these hugs is a comment on social relationships.

Rule #1: With everyone in the flash mob spread out in a circle from the middle of the space, the act will start at an ideal moment in the middle, with two select people hugging one another for the chain to start.
Rule #2: Each person should try to hug someone they haven't hugged, and preferably someone they noticed hasn't been hugged yet.
Rule #3: Please no inappropriate touching and when approaching someone not in the flash mob, do so from the front and slowly so you don't surprise them and give them the option to avoid you if they don't want to be hugged.

The main lobby of a train station would be a good area for this, although college campuses have plenty of open areas ideal for this too. I imagine if filmed from a high vantage point, the ripple effect of hugs could have a cool visual effect.