Performance art emerged in the wake of concepts characterised by Dadaism (an artistic and literary movement that grew out of dissatisfaction with conventional artistic practices during World War I), Fluxus (a global network of artists, composers and designers known for blending diverse artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s), and conceptual and installation art in the ’60s and ’70s.

At that time, a form of a postmodernist development, it was regarded a travesty of classic theatre that daunted the archaic art forms and cultural traditions. Gradually this genus has transformed into a widely popular art form, where unlike visual artists who use material to produce physical objects, the performance artists use their body, action or voice to express themselves.

David Greg Harth is a performance artist from New York, who recently visited Karachi and had an interactive, time-specific participatory project called ‘Packing Pakistan’ at the T2F, a café and bookshop famous for open dialogue, art and literary talk shows.

During this project, Harth brought an empty suitcase and invited attendees to contribute small but meaningful objects that may be of some personal significance to the owners. “Some of the participants had amazing stories about the objects they brought, which touched me deeply,” says Harth. He will be taking these contributions back to New York and document the project on his website and intends to write a book.

Harth works in a variety of media including performance, video, installation, drawing and photography. The maturity of his work stands testament to his bold experiences across various countries. Ironically in routine life he is a shy person but when in action for art; he opens his heart and soul to the public.

The artist is a different man altogether when he starts to interact with the viewers to create sparks for a dialogue, conversation or discussion. Instead of provoking his audience, he opts to involve them, both physically and psychologically, so that they can unleash their dormant senses and discover themselves.

To create unanticipated combinations and scenarios for gatherings, Harth uses elements of anxiety and dubiousness that exude illusory undertones, which usually stimulate debates on culture, politics, religion, fame, sexuality and consumerism. His work involves collection of information, documenting and producing archives of subjects ranging from the current international social and economic events, to more specific personal experiences.

He believes that the process of creating an artwork is as important as the final work itself. The participatory nature of his work is often crucial — for instance, taking snaps with strangers in a photo booth or eating a burger with them at an outlet over random discussions.

Harth started stamping brief messages on dollar bill notes, such as ‘I am not terrorised’ (after having seen the 9/11 twin towers crumble), ‘I am state’, ‘I am HIV’, etc. “Circulation of these works through currency is an effective method to touch masses. Also, people may be in possession of your art work unknowingly,” says the artist. These messages, he elaborates, are usually triggered by critical world events, political dynamics or injustice.

A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Harth also has a studio at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA), New York. He believes that art should go beyond pretty pictures and play a role in the society to make people think about themselves, the community and how the world can change for something better.

Harth finds inspiration in the Irish singer/songwriter, musician and philanthropist Bono (Paul David Hewson), the front man of the Dublin-based rock band U2, for his persistent humanitarian and social involvement to lessen suffering across the globe.