Tehching Hsieh

b 1950 in Noncho, Taiwan; 1970–73 drafted to the Taiwan army; 1974 works on an oil-tanker as business adminstrator, leaves the ship to enter illegally the USA (Philadephia), arrives in New York without ID card; until the amnestie (1988) lives as an illegal immigrant in the States; 1978–79 begins his conceptual work in Performance and realizes his first One-Year-Performance from September 29, 1978 to September 30, 1979: spends one year without talking, reading, writing, radio or television in a cage; 1985–86: one year in which he made no art, did not talk about art and did not visit any art places like galleries or museums, just lived his life in New York City; 1986–99, 13-year-plan: will make art during this time without showing it to the public. «This plan began on my 36th birthday, December, 31, 1986, and continues until my 49th birthday, December, 31st, 1999, Earth.» 1. Januar 2000: end of the 13-year-plan and a public report: «I KEPT MYSELF ALIVE. I PASSED THE DECEMBER 31st, 1999, Earth.»