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Tehching Hsieh: 'All art comes from life'

Discover how Taiwanese performance artist Tehching Hsieh's life as an illegal immigrant informed his piece One Year Performance

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Tehching Hsieh is a Taiwanese performance artist who moved from Taiwan to the United States as a stowaway in 1974, living as an illegal immigrant until he was granted amnesty in 1988.

For One Year Performance 1980–1981, Hsieh rigorously punched a time clock every hour for 366 days from 11 April 1980 to 11 April 1981. The resulting installation consists of letters, statements, uniforms, photographs, punch clock and a time card. Between 1978 and 1986 Hsieh made five year-long performances, followed by a thirteen-year performance of making art but not publicly showing it.

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