BREAD AND CIRCUSES?
THE LAND OF JOY HAS BLOWN UP LONG AGO.
THE LAND OF FEAR IS RULED BY BOMBS AND TERROR.
WE ARE SERIOUS!
FEAR STRIKES BAC
Pole-sitting
takes its inspiration from practices originating in biblical, classical
and medieval times. The CHURCH of FEAR pays homage to these models
by providing pole-sitting with a solid base in modernity.
Following the
example of the stylites, 7 unemployed, homeless and nondenominational
persons of various nationalities and religious backgrounds will
leave their detrimental communities for a period of 7 days. Their
mission is not to escape from themselves, not to wander restlessly
in their own chaos, but to stay virtuously in a chosen place: a
six-foot pole in a selected square at the heart of the world. Every
site and seat has been chosen with great care. It will be converted
into a day shelter, a sanctuary, a confessional, a marketplace for
the unemployed - the only market that has any chance of growth.
These are the places where the pillar saints of modernity will take
their high seats. They will live in voluntary asceticism in order
to manifest their heteronomous abstinence - and finally to dismantle
it without a sound and in all modesty.
Who can sit
the longest on their pole?
Who will defy adverse (weather) conditions?
How much warmth is there in a chilly social climate?
PEACE UNTO WAR
and LOVE UNTO HATE!
Seven Pole-Sitters
shall enter into competition, not with each other, but with the
administrators of their fears and anxieties. These they shall exhibit
without compromise or mercy. The competition shall last a total
of seven days at 24 hours per day. The winner shall be the competitor
who can last for the longest period of time on his or her pole while
revealing pain, fear, hate and the will to terror. The Pole-Sitters
shall be under surveillance.
The Pole-Sitters
shall perform all their activities (sleeping, eating, reading, speaking)
on their pole, 24 hours a day, around the clock. They may leave
their pole for 15 minutes every three hours in order to rest, exercise
and answer the call of nature. A Pole-Sitter will disqualified if
he or she either fails to keep him or herself on the pole or leaves
his or her pole for more than 15 minutes. Pole-Sitters who have
been disqualified shall be sent home immediately.
The Pole-Sitters
ensure prior to the competition that they are in full possession
of their physical strength. They undertake not to take any kind
of performance-enhancing drug for the duration of the competition.
Violations will be penalised by immediate exclusion from the competition.
Should none
of the Pole-Sitters remain until the end of the competition, the
winner shall be the competitor who has remained on his or her pole
for the longest period of time.
Visitors and
passers-by may also sit on a pole. This will increase the time accrued
of the Pole-Sitter concerned. No more than three persons (Pole-Sitter
+ 2 co-sitters) may sit on a single pole at any one time. For every
half hour that a co-sitter sits on a pole, the total time accrued
of the Pole-Sitter concerned will be increased by 30 seconds in
addition to his or her own time of sitting. A Pole-Sitter may thus
win up to 24 additional minutes per co-sitter, making a total of
48 minutes per day (24 minutes x 2 co-sitters) that the total time
accrued may be increased.
Under the motto
WIN WITH YOUR LOSERS, spectators and passers-by may, by purchasing
holy pictures on site or via the Internet from Father Angello, bet
cash on the Pole-Sitters. Who will remain the longest on his or
her pole? Who confronts his or her fear with the most death-defying
attitude? Holy pictures are sold on site at € 5.00; the minimum
bet on the Internet is € 500.00. Thus everybody may be in a
position to profit from people degraded to a profitless position.
You can support
»your« pillar saint not only by motivating him or her
mentally, but also by briefly co-sitting with him or her. International
comparison will thus determine the congregation showing the most
solidarity as well as the most resilient »Pillar Saint of
the CHURCH of FEAR«. In accordance with the Statutes of Fear,
every Pole-Sitter who has lasted 24 hours will be elevated from
the first to the second CoF caste, to the position of »Saint
of Fear«. The Saint, who will be answerable only to him or
herself, will be in full command of »Sleepers of Fear«
and »Martyrs«.
Who believes
in Him or Herself and Who believes in Who?
Who is willing to take a seat to defy their profitless situation?
CHURCH of FEAR:
FEAR IS THE ANSWER!
|