A day at the sea

The dance of the receptors #13
Copenhagen, Denmark 2023
Friisland – Center for Performance
Invited by LiveArt Denmark (Ellen Friis and Hendrik Vestergaard)
Duration: 35 minutes
Photographs by Monika Deimling

Context:

In the northern part of Nordhavn, Copenhagen, Live Art Denmark – founded by Ellen Friis and Hendrik Vestergaard – has established the Friisland Center for Performance Art, a space dedicated to performance-related activities. Here, exhibitions, live performances, and art projects are conceived and presented.

The performance took place near the Friisland Center, at the waterfront, where a strikingly elongated wall of massive stones forms a boundary to the sea. From this vantage point, Malmö, Sweden, is visible on the horizon. The area serves as a gathering place where people come to relax, fish, and swim. In the bay, small boats remain anchored, gently shifting with the movement of the water.

The performance unfolded on a section of this distinctive stone wall. The sheer scale and irregularity of the stones shaped the movement and physical engagement, making them an integral part of the performative action. 

Description of actions:
A collage of performance images and sounds is created by executing the following actions with selected material.

– Standing at the bottom of the stone wall holding a stick with a thin white string attached [Standing still like a person fishing.], while the audience comes to the performance.
– Reeling in the string to which a small silver bell is attached. [The bell starts chiming as soon as it comes out of the water.] Ringing the bell for a while by pulling the string.
– Climbing the stone wall to the chair and moving it attached to strings connected to a guide cross over the stones to the door.
– Lightning a straw circle that is attached to the door. [The circle burns and turns the white door black where the flames are touching its surface.]
– Taking two silver plates and wiggling on a stone back and forth. [The sound of the rock is audible, the circle is still burning.]
– Taking the basket off the table, filling it with seawater and placing it back on the table. [Red pigment is placed under the white tablecloth, which turns the cloth red as soon as the leaking water from the basket mixes with it.]
– Painting the shirt with yellow paint.
– Painting a red cross on the door.
– Tying a yellow and red beak over the nose and mouth; With two sticks carrying the white curtain behind the back. [A bird-like figure slowly stilts over the stone wall.]
– Carrying the door and chair down to the shore; Placing the door in the water like a raft and placing the chair on the door; Lighting a yellow smoke torch and pushing the structure out to sea. [The yellow smoke floats lightly over the water.]
– Throwing the silver bell into the sea and standing at the bottom of the stone wall. [Standing still like a person fishing.]