Anna Banana and Bill Gaglione from California visited Galerie S:t Petri in Lund briefly about a year and a half ago, where they performed sound poetry and showed pictures and films. They are now back at Galerie S:t Petri — not in person, but through documents that provide a taste of their intense activities over the past ten years.

Anna Banana has created her own discipline — bananology — and she hopes to publish an Encyclopedia Bananica in the future, in which she will inform readers about various banana-related events in her life. It all began in Victoria, Canada. Anna Banana, who was born there, proclaimed herself the Mayor of Victoria’s Fun City. She used to dress up in different costumes and invent all kinds of silly, creative activities. She performed in the streets and squares, in schools and retirement homes. At the same time, she began publishing her Banana Rag, which contained banana information of all sorts. Later she moved to California, where she and Bill Gaglione began producing eccentric publications such as Vile and File, which can be seen as parodies of the well-known magazine Life.

Since the early 1970s, Anna Banana and Bill Gaglione have also been active mail artists, that is, artists whose communication with other artists and art enthusiasts around the world has mostly taken place through the postal system. They have participated in numerous mail art exhibitions worldwide.

Playfulness is important for human development, according to Anna Banana. Thus, in Dada Land in California, she has organized Dada Olympics in which all participants receive diplomas in Bananology regardless of their competition results. Bananology concerns the human being who creates her own mythology by trying to step out of her “serious consumer” role and instead take part in nonsensical activities. At present, Anna Banana is fully occupied preparing for the 1980 Banana Olympics.

The exhibition at Galerie S:t Petri runs until 15 February 1980, and is open weekdays 15:00–20:00, Saturdays and Sundays 13:00–17:00.