LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ OU LA MORT
Project by Josef Ka – Paris 2025
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort is a project inspired by the motto of the French Revolution.
It began in New York during the Immersive Live Art Tour NY (2023), curated by Qing Cai, and continued in Paris in 2025, where I created a series of site-specific performances in different parts of the city with the participation of local artists.
The project examined the contemporary relevance of revolutionary ideas and the intersection of history and performance.
15 October 2025 — Arrival and First Performances
I arrived in Paris on 15 October. That day, I performed at Chair de Poule, invited by François Mellan and RoroVomir Perrot as part of Broken IMPRO.
I presented International Silence with Baguettes, a work from Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort, together with musicians François Galland and Paul Collins.
Documentation: Ilia Gribov
Link to documentation
17 October 2025 — François Mitterrand Library
Together with musician Yerik Nuñez, with whom I have collaborated for more than ten years, we performed at the François Mitterrand Library.
We tested several spots before choosing a location overlooking the Parisian skyscrapers.
On the same day, we became part of a film project.
Link to documentation
18 October 2025 — International Silence in the City
I continued the International Silence project using the same baguette from the performance on 15 October, walking from Bercy to Châtelet.
The action drew attention from many passersby. Near Châtelet, close to the place where I had watched a performance by Kirill Serebrennikov the night before, I recorded a video, moving with my baguette through the crowd waiting for a street event.
The walk ended next to the Sphinx, in front of the theatre.
Link to documentation
22 October 2025 — Three Performances
Together with Ilia Gribov and Georgia Panagou, we created three fully documented performances:
- Place de la Concorde — A tribute to Günter Brus, part of the I AM GÜNTER BRUS cycle.
- Near Palais de Tokyo (stairs) — Dedicated to Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort, including the creation of a flag.
- Palais-Royal — Dedicated to the seven prisoners of the Bastille. On 14 July 1789, the Bastille held seven people: four counterfeiters, two people with mental illnesses, and one murderer.
Project: Josef Ka
Music: Ilia Gribov
Filming / Editing: Georgia Panagou (1–2)
Filming: Ilia Gribov (3)
25 October 2025 — Performance with Jonathan Powell
At Gare d’Austerlitz, I presented Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort together with a flag I had previously created.
Pianist: Jonathan Powell performed Midsummer Morn by Michael Finnissy.
Link to documentation
26 October 2025 — La Jam du Fondeur, Lapin Vert
At La Jam du Fondeur au Lapin Vert, I presented Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort together with International Silence.
Participants: Alexis Collin, Patrice Cazelles, Jean-Michel Susini, François Mellan
Link to documentation
29 October 2025 — Premiere
With the support of RoroVomir Perrot, the premiere of the video–live painting of the revolutionary flag took place at Chair de Poule.
Musicians: Ilia Gribov, Lazare Lubek, Pascal Vaucel
Link to documentation
30 October 2025 — The Corner × LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ OU LA MORT
Two long-term projects intersected in Paris:
The Corner (since 2019) — Questions the mechanisms deciding which art is considered worthy of exhibition. In this work, I stand facing the wall in galleries where my works have never been shown.
On this day, The Corner met another ongoing project — LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ OU LA MORT, a series of site-specific actions inspired by the revolutionary motto of 1789.
The project began in New York (2023) and continued in Paris (2025), marking 236 years since the beginning of the French Revolution.
Photo: Anonymous
Link to documentation
1 November 2025 — Final Piece
The final work of the Paris edition — Égalité et Fraternité II — was completed at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
The action was created together with:
- Dominique Cagnard — poet
- Ilia Gribov — musician
- Anastasia Shirokova — visual artist
This group closed the Paris chapter of LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ OU LA MORT.
Link to documentation
I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this project happen. After applying to five different foundations and receiving no support, I decided to go to Paris and realize the project anyway — with my €300 and the help of a wonderful crowd of people who hosted me, supported me, and made this project real.
JOSEF KA 