The Society of Smallness

Our bureaucrats presided over marriages, name changes, resignations, and declared new holidays. Each document has been scanned and entered into the SoS archives.

“Documents Bureau” is a rambunctious, interactive performance that takes the boredom and bewilderment out of bureaucracy to achieve a creative and convivial experience. In a gallery space at the festival, unwitting passerbys were given the opportunity to take agency over the smaller aspects of life: to get a permit for their beard or resolve to go small with a minifesto. Our clerks, junior assistants, yesmen, and redundant pencil pushers logged a personal best of 123 documents at the 2014 Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival (MAAF) in Logan Square (Chicago).

All weekend Clutch Gallery was on hand showing “Nuts” by Scott Wolniak and the RIT Dye Cabinet exhibited “Never Say Dye, Say Buy!” by Nicole Seisler.

Here are the inconvenient dates and times “Documents Bureau” was open and those who were on hand:

Friday June 27, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

• Clerks: Marcos Herrera, Kat Seno, Matt Stone, Andrea Torres, Bettina Valverde, and Georgina Valverde
• Special Guests: Perry Cowdery playing melodica and Miss Annie (a.k.a. Annie Morse) giving W.A.S.P. Divinations.
• Friday night also featured the delights of the Sledgehammer Keyboard by Taylor Hokanson.

Saturday June 28, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• Clerks: Paul Durica, Henry Harris, Marcos Herrera, Noel Jones, Kat Seno, Matt Stone, and Georgina Valverde
• Special Guests: Tom Conway on guitar

Sunday June 29, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

• Clerks: Carl Boyd, Marianne Joyce, Elizabeth Murphy, Kat Seno, Matt Stone, and Georgina Valverde
• Special Guests: Perry Cowdery playing melodica and Miss Annie (a.k.a. Annie Morse) giving W.A.S.P. Divinations