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Polite Force Vest
Ephemera: Unpacking Christian Nerf’s Polite Force, December 21–22, 2021. Image courtesy of A4 Arts Foundation.
Title Polite Force Vest Date 2002 Type Riot gear

Original Polite Force vests produced for the first performance of the artwork on September 11, 2002. Constructed out of repurposed South African Police Force issue bulletproof vests, some still bore the names of the police officers who had worn them. Before 1994, it was not obligatory for police to be visible; the vests were not inscribed with ‘Police’. The original vests were worn in performances in Johannesburg, New York, and loaned to friends of the artist. A later set of vests was produced for the artist Dan Halter.

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