Simon Mclennan: Apples Project

This apple was picked from trees growing in a communal orchard on common land very close by.
By taking this apple you are taking part in this performance.
You may choose to eat the apple, or keep it as a treasured artwork in the hope it may gain value on the international art market. You decide.

Through collecting and distributing food that is free and "falling from the trees" in the town where we live, then perhaps we can view "supermarkets" in a different light, and subsequently question modern growing and distribution food systems on internationally traded commodity markets, where traders set prices, affecting millions of people's access to food and ultimately - life.

This performance was inspired by two cherry trees growing outside a popular supermarket close to where I live. I noticed that every year the cherries would ripen on the trees and fall to the ground to rot. Passers by would buy cherries presented in the supermarket for a high price, passing the ripe fruit under their noses. Which led me to imagine that perhaps the fruit was invisible to hungry people, unless presented and packaged in a certain way, it would not even be considered food. Nobody bothered to pick the cherries - apart from me. #appleperformanceart - twitter, insta, Fb
To get the apples free use the path and tunnel under the horse race track next to the garden centre. Apple trees are growing wild in the brambles straight ahead...

Background

Who owns the land - and how did they get to own it?

Pre-agrarian societies which arguably existed for at least one million years before farming and permanent settlements developed, consisted of nomadic groups of humans practicing hunter gathering. State and capital (money) did not exist.

In a modern age where technocratic progress has led to a 40 hour plus working week, in some cases much longer, we are left to wonder why and how we got to this...

If people exist merely as workers and consumers in a wealth creating machine, or conversely with algorithms and robots taking human jobs, leaving many without a means to make an income, how can we devise new futures that return us to some sustainable and inclusive balance. Perhaps a simpler world closer in form to the Paleolithic model, where it is believed humans worked no more than two hours per day, allowing time for more creative and enjoyable pursuits...

art, music, dancing, acting, making, socialising, games, fishing, gardening, reading, studying, crochet etc etc

The Performance

First performance, 30th September 2019, Brighton, Sussex, UK.

Wild apples picked locally, string, paper tag, digitally printed label, pritt glue.
The artist and twenty willing co-performers chosen at random.

The first performance took place from 12.30pm to 2pm in multiple locations in and outside Presuming Ed's cafe on London Rd and Doughlover 'The Diner' on Trafalgar St.
Of the fifty or more people asked to take part twenty accepted.
Approximately two thirds of the participants opted to keep their numbered edition intact,
the rest ate the apples.

Second performance, 2nd October, 2019, brighton, Sussex, UK.

The second performance took place at multiple locations on Trafalgar St, London Road, Onca Gallery, St Peter's House Library and Backwood Cafe.
Ten tagged, signed and numbered apples were given to ten willing participants.