Do not disturb

April 2015

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An Iranian artist reserved a hotel room and invited a Palestinian and an Israeli to spend a night together, accompanied by an audience both physically present behind closed doors and online, observing the unfolding event in real-time. The guests, who were selected from responses to Craigslist and Facebook ads, were ultimately two students from Carnegie Mellon University who agreed to the structure of the performance.

The primary objective was to create a platform for dialogue, providing a safe space for conversation where the audience could hear stories from both perspectives and witness the evolution of their emotions throughout the night. The intention was to livestream every moment, offering viewers an immersive experience. Various amenities such as food, drinks, games, movies, newspapers, and TV were provided to facilitate shared experiences and foster dialogue.

However, there was a last-minute change of plans when the Israeli man failed to show up. This unexpected development led the audience to become active participants in the conversation, engaging with the Palestinian's stories firsthand. Despite the deviation from the original plan, this unforeseen twist added depth and complexity to the exploration of human connection and understanding within the performative context.