Aviva Rahmani (American, b. 1945) Physical Education, 1973 Performance documentation: slide projection with instructions. ©Aviva Rahmani. Courtesy of the artist.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (1973)

1. Each person takes a plastic baggie and a plastic spoon. Performers go to a water fountain or sink in an institution. Fill the baggie half full of fresh water and seal it. Drive to the ocean. Stop three times en route. At each stop leave a teaspoon of the fresh water from the baggie at the side of the road and replace it each time with a teaspoon of earth from the site. Reseal the baggie and continue driving.

2. At the ocean, get out of the car and find some very dry sand. Pour the earth and water mixture out onto the dry sand. Walk to the water and refill the baggie half full with seawater and seal it. Return to the car. Drive back to the original institution. Stop three times en route at the side of the road. Leave behind a teaspoon of seawater and gather a teaspoon of earth to replace the seawater in the baggie. Reseal the baggie each time.

3. On returning to the institution, take the baggie to a bathroom. Pour the remaining seawater and arable soil mixture down the bathroom toilet. Flush the toilet. Discard the plastic spoon. Discard the baggie.

Variation: use a special spoon to transfer the mixtures of earth and water. Keep the spoon.