Information:

“Dependent Independent” was a performance art work that Harth created during the final exhibition of his art residency in Bir Zeit, Palestine, - a small town just outside Ramallah. The performance lasted 15 minutes in the late afternoon of October 4, 2009. In “Dependent Independent,” I was the independent person that was dependent upon strangers I did not know. I put myself in a situation to trust these unfamiliar people with my life. During the performance art work, I was a pivot between two pulling forces. One force is a rock thrown over a steep drop. This large rock is tied to my body with rope and is constantly pulling my body. If I get pulled over the edge down the steep drop, this may result in serious injury or even death. Another rope tied to my body is being pulled by participants to act as a counter weight. If they continue to pull I will not fall over the edge. When a participant was pulling the rope, it was important for them to realize that they must obtain a unique balance. If they pulled too hard, I could have fallen into the street. If they did not pull enough, the weight of the rock would pull me over the edge of the steep drop. What happened during this performance is that the people of Palestine proved to me that I could trust them.