Inspired by André Lepecki’s discussion on durational performance1 and Ralph Lemon’s Fourteen-Hour Exercise2, I set out to explore endurance, time, and transformation through the physical act of deconstructing a piano. Dismantling pianos had become central to my artistic practice, but I wanted to push this process further—turning it into a durational performance that tested both my physical and mental limits.
With strict parameters in place, I committed to staying in my garage for the full 14 hours, documenting the process through surveillance cameras, journal entries, and Instagram updates. I began at 9:00 a.m., steadily dismantling the piano piece by piece, aware of the strain on my body and the weight of time passing. Fatigue set in early, technical difficulties disrupted my documentation, and doubts crept in, yet I persisted—immersed in the act of endurance.
As the performance unfolded, my focus shifted from the mechanical process of deconstruction to a heightened awareness of time. The influence of durational artists like Tehching Hsieh and Marina Abramović became palpable—Hsieh’s One Year Performance3 gave me a deeper appreciation for marking each hour, while Abramović’s The Artist is Present4 made me reconsider the physicality of stillness versus movement.
I finished dismantling the piano before my 14 hours were up. Turning to my Instagram followers, I asked how I should complete the duration: start on another piano, rest, or dance in the garage until the end. The resounding response was to dance. This spontaneous conclusion underscored the tension between structure and improvisation, discipline and play—revealing the nature of endurance not just as a test of limits, but as an evolving state of presence.