Participatory Experiment

My idea for the participatory action is inspired by the music video for the Radiohead song “Just”, and it is largely based on inciting a reaction from bystanders and passers by. In the video, an unknown man lays down on a city sidewalk in an expression of hopelessness. Upon revealing to inquirers exactly why he is laying there, they all join him; however, the viewer never learns what the man’s reasoning is.

This idea of a person acting abnormally and thus garnering a large amount of attention is something that I would like to put into action to observe and try to analyze, much in the mould of a flash mob scenario. My ‘experiment’ would have a sizable, though not too large, group of people (around 20 people perhaps) in one area simultaneously sit down and cry, simulating a deep and genuine sorrow. The idea is not to incite any reaction in particular, but simply to see how people react. A few rules are crucial in carrying out the experiment.

Rule #1: Every participant’s tears and sorrow must appear genuine and must remain so for the duration of the time.

Rule #2: No matter how persistent an observer is in asking (if any do at all), participants must not give any indication as to why they are upset.

Rule #3: Participants should appear to be connected in their sorrow, so as to promote the idea to observers that perhaps they too should be sad.