Strands of Inevitability

 

This performance took place in the red room at Palazzo Mora. In the centre of the room were two benches and a table with a white bowl. I was nude. As audience entered the room, I would either sit on a bench or approach them. The audience was free to sit or stand anywhere in the room. For each individual who was willing to share a gaze, I plucked out parts of hair from my head. This was done in silence while holding our gaze. All removed hairs were placed in the bowl. Without any given instruction, several members of the audience chose to pluck out some of their own hair and place it in my hand or directly into the bowl. Each strand of hair, both my own and from the audience, represented a change which we all must face with age and time. For some, the change will begin early in life and span over decades towards an inevitable loss, whether it is partial or total. The audience’s willingness to hold their gaze, share their emotions and offer their own hair in solidarity were all unexpected to me. 

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Exhibition: Venice International Performance Art Week as part of Co-Creation Live Factory: Dissenting Bodies Marking Time.

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Venue: The European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy.

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Date: January 17th, 2020.

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Curated by: Marilyn Arsem