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Performance
2023
Nijmegen, The Netherlands 

 
Modern Artefact
 
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The Natural Past

The body is the home of the spirit. Through emotion, color, and heat, the body communicates. The body is in constant movement; sometimes a nervous tremble, sometimes a strong embrace, sometimes a lustful dance. The heart speaks through beats, the soul through passions and sorrows. The core of the body is made of eternal hope and acceptance. The spirit guides the body.

 

The body is a collection of beings. The bones and joints remember; the skin, even hair, remembers. The cells of the body are filled with pictures and feelings stored inside as memories. The body is an archive; anywhere the flesh is pressed or even touched lightly, a stream of memory may flow, reminding you of the generations within you. The body holds history.

 

The body is magnificent. Constraining the body of its natural beauty and brilliant value is to force it to live without its essential design, its rightful spirit. The body has the right to grow as intended. When the body is considered ugly or unacceptable because it is outside the current trend, the spirit of the natural being breaks. The body, in its natural form, is perfect.

The Modern Present

The body is an aesthetic phenomenon. It is not just a natural tool for survival; rather, it is a form of expression. Through modern attitude, the body has been taught to think and feel with the brain. The body evolved into a beautiful machine, ever-changing and extremely strong. Skin can morph into any shape and form, muscles can carry buildings, and eyes can see far beyond what’s in sight. The body is capable of constant adaptation, radical modification, and carefree movement. The body is resilient.

The body grows fast and forgets easily to adapt to the changing surroundings and society. The strength and importance of the being are measured by relatability. Rooted in the new age, there is a love for the unnatural. The body is innovative, hyper-sexualized, and exaggerated. The body heals quickly and proceeds in smart motions.

To replace nature with modernity is to survive in the 21st century. The body belongs to a set of ideas and norms. To belong to a group brings peace to the body and creates a sense of approval. The body operates in all dimensions; the bones stretch to any extent, and the senses function at the highest level. The spirit of the being stays alive through the lust for belonging and recognition. To the body, acceptance, by all means, is vital. The body has to be aesthetically perfect.

Modern Artefact

 

Now, imagine a future in which modernity continues to progress, yet we respect our natural past. Imagine a world in which bodies are accepted and celebrated in their most natural form. Imagine a future in which our focus isn’t on "how do I look?" but rather on "how do I see?". Imagine a hyper-natural future.

In the haste of looking forward, we too easily forget the past. Take a moment to reflect on modern conditions. How can the natural body survive modernity? By rethinking preconceived notions of the body, by changing what we find important, and by teaching to question extreme modification, we can find ways for the body and for the community to not only exist but thrive in the future. We can't avoid advancement and live forever in the past, but we should never underestimate the glory of our natural bodies.

Together we can create a future in which we value the body for its vitality, endurance, and brilliance rather than its appearance. Together we can create a world that embraces all forms of beauty, form, and function, releasing us from perfection and allowing us to shift the focus to unity, good advancements, and solutions. In this manner, we can gain a new way of seeing and behaving, ensuring a future in which the body adapts naturally to the highly modern world.

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Performance outline

Durational performance: sitting, without talking, moving, or taking breaks. Doing the opposite of what we’re always doing; being in constant movement.

 

7 consecutive hours a day, from Tuesday to Sunday for one month

 

For the audience, the performance should be a moment of reflection, questioning, and discussion. There has to be space for intimacy and vulnerability. Therefore, the usage of phones would preferably not be allowed.

 

Possible variations:

 

1. Extending the pubic hair so much that it crosses all over the floor of the space. The audience either walk extra careful to not step on it or they break the barrier between artist and viewer by interacting with the hair.

2. Multiple Modern Artifacts, e.g. a female and a male in the same space.

Further details to be discussed with the curator and team.

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