TASK Party San Francisco

What is a TASK party?

TASK is an improvisational event with a simple structure and very few rules. TASK relies on the participation of people who agree to follow two simple, procedural rules: to write down a task on a piece of paper and add it to a designated “task pool,” and, secondly, to pull a task from that pool and interpret it any which way he or she wants, using whatever is on (or potentially off) stage. When a task is completed, a participant writes a new task, pulls a new task, and so on.

TASK’s open-ended, participatory structure creates almost unlimited opportunities for a group of people to interact with one another and their environment. The event’s flow and momentum depends on the tasks written and interpreted by the participants. The continuous, simultaneous conception and interpretation of tasks fills the stage with seemingly chaotic, yet purpose driven activity: a complex, ever shifting, socio-sculptural arrangement of bodies and objects.

How can I participate?

Drop by the San Francisco TASK party on October 4th from 3 - 9pm at 2150 Folsom Street (btwn. 17th and 18th). Admission is free and open to all. You can stop in anytime and stay for as long as you like. You don’t need to bring anything, but you may want to contribute materials (of all kinds, but multiTASK especially invites you to bring items that can be recycled or repurposed) or some food to share. If you have items that you would like to donate to multiTASK, you can drop them off at SF Camerawork at 657 Mission Street. While you’re there, you can make TASK party postcards to share with friends or keep as a reminder.

Who is Oliver Herring?

Oliver Herring is an internationally recognized artist working across many media including photography, sculpture, video and performance. For more information, a detailed biography, and interviews with the artist, please visit PBS’s Art21.

What is multiTASK?

MultiTASK is a collaborative group of individuals living in the Bay Area formed for the purpose of making the San Francisco TASK party happen in collaboration with Oliver Herring. (pictured below: multiTASK doing synchronized jumping exercises).