Happy Holocaust
Performance at the contemporary art festival Gooseflesh.
After a day full of performances and presentations, the afterparty was announced. People were invited to the old barn to dance, chill and chat. Time went, the crowd was gathering, music was playing, drinks were served. At one point, when the barn was already full of people, then suddenly the doors were closed and sealed from the outside. A small group of prepared performers then rushed to put on industrial gas masks, disclosed the so far hidden balloons with labels NO2 (laughing gas) and started to pump cold white gas into the public. The performance lasted 20 minutes before doors were opened again.
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Technically it was a hoax: instead of nitrous oxide, the balloons were filled with cooled air. Still, it worked quite well as a placebo, as many people remained convinced that there was a hallucinogen in the air, and described the effects, euphoria, and distortion.
There is no visual documentation about the happening as the festival's photographer panicked and escaped through the window.
Gooseflesh Festival, Rakvere
Performance made in cooperation with Sandra Jõgeva (Avangard)
DJ: Mihkel Kleis
Chemistry consultant: Märt Sults
