homage on red square

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Published: Monday, 20 June 2016 11:57

Sunday, 10.40 am, red square Moscow. What will happen if you do the same performance you did in Krasnosamjenka, Siberia, here in Moscow on the red square? The difference could not be bigger. There in this tiny village of 38 inhabitants was only one sandy road, called central road. Here the 20 million capital of the Russian empire with his historical meaningful main square. Surrounded of hundreds of Asian tourists you stand in middle of the square and pull the white cloth over your head. Covered by the white canvas you feel total vulnerable. You are not alone under this cover, with you your fears. You try to think about something else, you remember Max  Dätwyler, who walked in 1964 with a white flag on the red square. He wanted to talk with the rulers in kreml, but they ignored the Swiss  peace apostle. Not so in this case. After three minutes two heavy armed security guys, tourist police, Oleg and Aleksej, asked you to stop the action. You explained them that you do this performance on different places. But not here, Oleg says in a broken English. They warned you and went away, but returned almost in a sudden to ask your passport. They write your name in a notebook. Oleg who is the spokesman says, we thought you want suicide yourself. No no, I love to live, you said and laughed. Now he laughs as well and confirms yes yes I love life too. Then the discussion went further. He reminded pavlenskis performance on the red square and wants to know from Katrin, what do you think if your son would sit naked on the red square and nail his balls on the floor. She says, if he has good reasons to do it I would support his art. Oleg shakes his head! I don't understand that as an art, I have been educated differently, I'm conservative. Then they went away. You take your "white flag" and look around. It seems as if nobody took notice of the incident. Everybody is occupied with taking selfies.

This performance is a homage to Max Dätwyler, a simple man with a big idea of a peaceful world, and dedicated to my beloved daughters. May the world become ready for the big idea.

"Heute wehte die weisse Fahne auf dem Roten Platze. Oben auf dem Kreml die rote Fahne Lenins. Welch ein Anblick für die Russen! Wir werden sehen, welche Fahne mächtiger ist. Ich weiss es. Die Herren im Kreml ahnen es ..." Max Dätwyler, Moscow 1964