It ain’t over until it’s over #7

Leipzig, Germany 2021
Blaverschiebung, Gallery KUB
Invited by Franziska Eißner & Christian Liefke
Duration: 26 minutes
Photographs by Monika Deimling

Context:

For many years, Galerie KUB in Leipzig has been a dedicated space for contemporary art, with a strong focus on performance art. Known for its commitment to experimental and interdisciplinary practices, the gallery has hosted numerous events that foster artistic exchange and collaboration.

One of its most recognised initiatives is the Blauverschiebung festival, an internationally renowned platform that brings together performance artists from across the globe. Over the years, both the festival and the gallery have become vital hubs within the international performance art community, facilitating connections between artists, curators, and audiences.

The performance was presented as part of the festival’s 14th edition.

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

– Sitting on an old brown suitcase and moving two brown shoes placed on my hands. [This is the situation as the audience enters the gallery space.]
– Placing the shoes on the floor; Taking out orange and yellow feathers from the shoes; Throwing the feathers alternately upwards. [The feathers fly gently to the floor.]
– Painting the head and face with white paint.
– Moving a butterfly catcher over the heads of the heads of the audience and put the “collected thoughts” in my trouser pocket.
– Taking silver wool out of the trouser pocket and squeezing it gently in the hands. [The silver wool makes a crunching, soft sound.]
– Moving gently a violin bow over the face and spreading orange colour.
– Taking a white cloth, press it onto the face. [An imprint of the orange face appears on the white cloth.]
– Slowly opening a large book. [Inside the book are wind-up paper butterflies that fly across the room and into the audience as soon as the book is opened.]
– Two drumsticks are lit; Drumming with the burning sticks on the suitcase. [The beats are slowly increased until the flames are extinguished.]
– Babbling loudly and emphasising the sound with the fingers by moving them down from the mouth to the shirt. [The fingers are dipped in blue paint so that a blue line appears from the mouth across the neck to the chest.]
– Tying a large eye on the head and throwing Ping-Pong balls at it. [The Ping-Pong balls bounce off the eye and into the audience.]
– Lightning a smoke torch in the case, close the case and pick it up. [The blue smoke vapours from the suitcase.]
– Waving with the white cloth to the  audience while leaving the gallery space with the vapouring suitcase.

In 2013 I participated in the 5th edition of the Blauverschiebung Festival with the performance “Around the world #5” which was presented in the entrance hall of the HBK Leipzig.
Video documentation of the performance
23:32 minutes
Camera: Galerie KUB
2013