Building on concepts from The Bureau of Self-Recognition (2011–13), over the course of three years, Chloë Bass produced The Book of Everyday Instruction (2015–18). This eight-part project examines relationships between different entities from one-on-one interactions between couples to more sprawling partnerships between individuals and their surroundings that interrogate systemic issues and socioeconomic realities. Each part poses statements and questions, like “How do we know we are really together?”, “How do we share love between individuals and institutions?”, and “How do we recognize an ongoing coupling in spite of change?” Alternating between works developed in the artist’s studio and social manifestations involving the participation of others, The Book of Everyday Instruction ultimately achieves what Bass calls a “performance work for no audience.”
