Hired by Dorota, a young single mother with a 4-week old baby. June 9, 2010, Krakow , Poland. [ The conventional gender roles were reversed when I was the one who did most of the domestic chores including burping the baby, changing diapers etc. She found it cathartic when she watched a man doing most of the domestic things that she normally did herself. ]
Hired by Hans Kuiper, 12/22/2009, Berlin. [ We engaged in wide-ranging conversations which lasted several hours. In the end, we ran out of things to talk about, and we were all tired. So I said, "Let's do the same conversations all over again!" We tried several times, each time the conversation ended up differently. Even for the passages where we said exactly the same things, they felt different. ]
Hired by Lan Hungh, Dec. 24, 2009, Berlin. [ Lan asked me to say idiotic things to strangers in the street. At that point, a beggar came by and asked me in a language I didn't understand but I guessed was for money. I started to say moralistic things to her in a rude and stupid way, but in English which she didn't seem to understand. She simply stood there with her hand extended, while people around us seemingly smiled along at the folly. In the end, I asked Lan what should I do and he said I could give her a coin, but only if she agreed to let me take a picture of her. ]
Hired by Justin Hoover, 3/2010, San Francisco. [ Justin hired me to help Tom Marioni do his performance for the Hole at SOMart. I was told to dress in a particular way and keep drinking beer. By the time Tom's turn came, I was drunk and was told to read from his book "Beer, Art and Philosophy". I found myself skipping lines and going way over the allotted 2 minutes. ]
Hired by Marcin, 6/6/2010, Poland. [ Marcin hired me to copy one of his paintings which he would sell to a collector later. He promised to pay me 40 Euros for the job. I tried to do a good job at the painting, meticulously paying attention to every small detail. In the end, I couldn't finish it within the timeframe and got really tired. Marcin paid me 20 Polish Zlotych instead (about 5 Euros.)
Artist For Hire
Participatory project, 2010
Project Statement:
“San Francisco conceptual artist Michael Zheng is in town for his project Artist for Hire. He will be available for hire to anyone, to do anything they ask of him (to be agreed upon by both parties beforehand) for one day each. During the 24 hours, he is both at the service and the mercy of the hirer. Reciprocally, both parties will be facing the existential issues this brings forth. The artist is not asking for monetary compensation. However, he does ask that his basic needs are covered and that he can take documentation of the project to be presented at a later date.
The project stems from the artist’s conviction that the experience of art, as with any experience, becomes “magical” only when you decide to open your consciousness to it. And, more often than not, those moments unfold or surprise in everyday situations and spaces. As such, he intends to instigate such experiences that might be meaningful to you.
Zheng believes a primary function of the contemporary artist is to be a catalyst for these unforeseen and moving experiences. While the seminal artist Bruce Nauman might have been ambivalent when he said, “The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths,” Zheng is running with the banner with absolute conviction.
Michael Zheng worked as an entrepreneur and computer programmer before he became an artist. He brings with him a plethora of skills, experiences and baggage, all of which to draw from.
This is a continual project. If you’re interested in participating in this project, please contact the artist directly at mz-art@michaelzheng.org. The artist's other background can be seen on www.michaelzheng.org. Additional information is available upon request.”