Francis Alys is a Belgian artist who is currently living in Mexico City. He was formally trained in architecture, but has a passion for using performance art as a means bringing people together either for a project or while viewing his work. He travels internationally to film his work, most of it holding similar themes of politics, culture, and location as things that are in the way of community. One of his most famous works is a performance piece called 'When Faith Moves Mountains,' that took place in Lima, Peru in 2002. Alys recruited around 500 volunteers to help with the project, with their end goal to move a sand dune a couple of inches. Though this project seems not only impossible but also a bit of a waste of time, the participants were excited to be a part of it, and once it was over, they were excited to share the story. Another piece he did is called 'The Green Line,' in which he performed a walk through the streets of Jerusalem with a leaking can of green paint beside him, leaving his trail. Spectators thought the performance as a poetic expression. Alys's other works consist of him traveling to different third world countries and filming children playing games together, some of which are the same game in different countries.
Alys also did a performance called Painting/Retoque in Panama in which he repaints a single median strip on a road where the US base used to be.
Alys also did a performance called Painting/Retoque in Panama in which he repaints a single median strip on a road where the US base used to be.
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| When Faith Moves Mountains Lima, Peru 2002 |
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| The Green Line Jerusalem, Israel 2004 |
Here is the video of Painting/Retoque, Paraiso, Panama, 2008
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