Milan Kohout, "Converting Hens to Christianity" Gdansk, Poland 2003

Converting Hens to Christianity. Gdansk Shipyard (location where the Solidarity movement was launched), Poland; as part of the Castle of the Imagination Performance Art Festival, August 2003.
This performance worked with the moral schism of the Polish Catholic Church. Being the most powerful force behind the government, it mixes its pacifistic teachings with political support for the war in Iraq and pro-war politicians. The Solidarity movement, which toppled the communist govern- ment, was also strongly associated with the Catholic Church.
The former communist government of Poland was famous in Iraq under Saddam Hussein for build- ing poultry factories there. Kohout read from the Polish version of the Bible, trying to convert a hen- house full of hens to Christianity while they were trapped in a cage. From time to time, he poured gasoline from a canister onto the Bible. The audio soundtrack consisted of a mixture of sounds from the Solidarity revolution, Islamic praying, and American commercial songs.