Paper Flux Work c. late 1960s

Curator: This is "Paper Flux Work" by Willem de Ridder, part of the Fluxus movement. It’s a set of instruction cards, each prompting a different action or intervention. Editor: It has a playful feel. The starkness of the cards and the simple instructions seem almost like a game, albeit a somewhat cryptic one. Curator: Exactly. Fluxus was all about blurring the lines between art and life. The instructions invite participation, disrupting traditional modes of art consumption. They ask us to question the artist's authority and the artwork's fixed meaning. Editor: There's a subversive element too. Instructions like "don't perform this event" or "send this card to your neighbour" challenge social norms and invite us to think about our relationships and interactions. Curator: The beauty of Fluxus lies in its accessibility and dematerialization of art. It was a direct response to the elitism of the art world, giving agency to the viewer. Editor: It leaves me thinking about the power of instruction, performance, and the unexpected ways art can infiltrate our daily lives. Curator: For me, it highlights art's potential for social intervention and the constant renegotiation of artistic boundaries.