The PLOT group was founded on the basis of the Museum of Odesa Modern Art. It brought together Odesa actors and artists, musicians and dancers to create actions and performances. Since then, they present a special unique performance or action for almost every important project and event of the museum. The group also presented dozens of actions in Odesa and other cities of Ukraine. Usually, the concepts of these actions have a deep philosophical and socio-political meaning.

The performance “Pea” is one of the first works created by the group. However, it already fully revealed the combination of the depth of ethical and philosophical meanings with the formal actionists’ pathos typical for the team. Four people take part in the performance: three of them are in the room standing a little more than two meters from the wall. Nearby are three stools with buckets of dry peas. These participants throw peas at the wall, making small dents on it. The fourth participant is holding a paint roller, next to him is a bucket of white paint. After each throw, he covers these traces with a roller, trying to make the wall smooth. The process is repeated many times: every time after throwing a pea, the wall receives new marks, which are painted again and again.

This action contains references to folk wisdom, in particular to the expression “to throw pea against a wall.” This proverb reflects the futility of efforts, when words or actions do not leave any trace or effect in the mind of a person they are addressed to. In the action, throwing peas at the wall becomes a metaphor for communication attempts that do not achieve their goal – just as warnings or knowledge that do not reach their destination and remain fruitless.

The dents that remain on the wall symbolize moments when actions still leave a mark. However, every painting over these dents is an attempt to disguise or correct these traces. The action emphasizes that society, individuals or systems often strive to return everything to the original condition, denying or forgetting about the consequences. Throwing peas at the wall replicates an image of immovable barriers that, despite efforts, remain a part of reality, even when attempts to close them are not always successful.