LI HARRIS
Please, Have a Seat.
Day 1: 8 chairs - March 29, 2020.
Day 1: 8 chairs - March 29, 2020.
Day 2: 7 Chairs - March 30, 2020 .
Day 2: 7 Chairs - March 30, 2020 .
Day 3: 7 Chairs - March 31, 2020.
Day 4:7 chairs, anonymously rearranged to face due west. - April 1, 2020.
Day 5: 7 Chairs. Reinstalled by Li @ 6:15am. new positions - April 2, 2020.
Still Day 5: Discovery and rearranging by Rachel Orosco: 2 chairs stacked on top of each other, 2 chairs positioned to face each other. 2 chairs positioned closer next to each other. One chair remained in its space.
Day 6: 3 chairs and one shopping cart. At 1:00pm it is recorded that a metal and plastic shopping cart had been anonymously installed at the site. The shopping cart was angled and pointed to a stop in the same direction of the 3 remaining chairs, duly West by Northwest.
Day 7. April 4, 2020, 12:00pm. 0 chairs.
Day 8. April 5, 2020. 10am. 1 chair anonymously reappears on the edge of the lot. Facing North.
Day 8. April 5, 2020. 10:30am. 1 chair reinstalled by Li to the center of the lot. Facing Northwest.
Day 11, Day 12. April 8-9, 2020. It is noted that at approximately 3pm on Day 11, April 8, there were 0 chairs left in the lot. It is also noted on today April 9, Day 12, 0 chairs remain in the lot.
Day 15. April 12, 2020.It is noted that at approximately 4:30pm on Day 15, April 12, there were 0 chairs left in the lot. It is also noted on today April 12, Day 15, 1 human in chair pose appears.
Please, Have a Seat. by Li Harris is a public intervention, sound/ deep listening installation, light show, live performance. As Houstonians are urged to Shelter in Place, Li Harris begins this project by installing chairs in an empty lot at a discoverable location in Houston, vulnerable to seizure, occupation and rearrangement. These objects in this particular location signal pedestrians to choose to engage with them or not. Detailed documentation follows this public activation as chairs disappear/reappear over time. Using photography, text, video, objects, sound, public vacancy and social media, Harris creates an online space for these and other contemporary responses.