Chance: Atlanta

Robert Ladislas Derr

Chance:Atlanta is a walk performance by Robert Ladislas Derr. Interested in viewers being more than quiet observers of his work, Derr asks pedestrians to roll a die to determine his cartography through the streets. These rolls determine if he proceeds forward down a street, goes right, left, back, spins, or stands in place. Derr began this ongoing project in late 2005 and has completed it in cities throughout the world.

Adding to the spectacle of the street, Derr dresses in a mirrored suit and wears four video cameras that capture the scenes from his front, back, and sides as he proceeds on his walk. The performance continues for approximately forty-five minutes–the average amount of time that it takes to complete all thirty commands. After completing the walk with the video cameras, Derr returns to each intersection encountered and photographs the front, back, and side views, creating a photograph cartography as well.