asses.masses

asses.masses at Paribu Art on May 23–24

asses.masses is a 7.5-hour multidisciplinary performance. Taking place on May 23–24, the piece is a specially designed video game meant to be played live in a theatre setting from start to finish. It explores themes of labor, fear of technology, and the burden of revolution through an immersive, playful, and highly original performance format.

A herd of unemployed donkeys has a single demand: humans must abandon machines and return all jobs to donkeys. But revolutions are never easy.

asses.masses is a carefully constructed video game that examines labor, technophobia, and the shared weight of revolution. Designed specifically for live theatrical performance, it creates an unusual and bold experience that actively involves the audience. Viewers take turns holding the controller and guiding a herd of donkeys trying to survive in a post-industrial society—where they are valued not for their potential, but for their hides.

Blending humor with provocation, the work explores automation-driven unemployment, nostalgia as a barrier to progress, and the role of technology in adaptation. It invites audiences to reflect on the space between the work that defines us and the play that may set us free.

A Farm Animal allegory meets Pokémon and Final Fantasy on stage, resulting in a formally and conceptually unique experience.

Artists: Patrick Blenkarn, Milton Lim