Examining the boundaries of public and private space in Northeast Minneapolis
A group of thirty people assemble on a grassy vacant lot in Northeast Minneapolis. Each has downloaded an MP3 track necessary for the experience of this piece. Unbeknownst to the participants, not each person has the same track. Individuals begin their audio simultaneously; they are prompted to explore the field in which they stand, collecting painted rocks which they arrange at the center of the lot. Instructed to form a circle, they look at each other. One person steps forward into the circle; the others applaud her. She races to the edge of the field, whipping a tarp off of an object to reveal a bicycle, which she rides off on, down the street, as the others wave goodbye. And so begins P.I.C.N.I.C.
The remaining players split in two, walking and sometimes running in groups to find hidden items necessary to complete the piece. They are prompted to paint on walls, rearrange environmental objects, and sometimes to pause and listen to some poetry by a bridge.
Occasionally each group will glimpse the other in the distance as they traverse empty playgrounds, train tracks, dried up ponds, and a community garden. As the groups reassemble (for a picnic, obviously) the lone bicyclist returns–with ice cream bars.
P.I.C.N.I.C. was created in collaboration with MYNDWYRM in Minneapolis in July 2012.