Constraint of the Week: The Absurd Object

The Absurd Object, Constraint #73

Place a completely incongruous object in every room of your home or office. Wait for someone to notice. Say nothing.

Reference artist(s): Marcel Duchamp.

The protocol

  1. Select one object per room… the incongruity must be real but subtle. A garden gnome in the middle of a bookshelf. A saucepan in the bathroom. A hammer in the fruit bowl.
  2. Install the objects.
  3. Photograph each installation before anyone else arrives.
  4. Wait. Don’t point anything out. If asked why, answer: “What?”
  5. Note which objects were noticed and which never were. Upload the photos and your report to the site.

Variations

  • Place a single very well-hidden object in the entire house and see how long it takes to find.
  • Do it gradually… one object per day for a week.

Post your trace on ouviepo.fr with the hashtag #ouviepo_TheAbsurdObject

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