Live performance

Space Theatre and its surroundings will become a home to explore the impact of durational performance. The central concept in long durational work is time, whereby the meanings of beginning, middle, and end are altered. The work of art can take on epic proportions, to explore themes relating to the human condition. Both artists and participants are profoundly affected and in some ways emerge transformed by this experience. Curated by Marina Abramović Institute (MAI), the following artists from Australia, neighbouring countries and beyond were invited to create site-specific, long-durational projects: Marina Abramović, Collective Absentia, Li Binyuan, Yingmei Duan, SJ Norman in collaboration with Eric Avery and Mark Temple, Mike Parr, Indigo Perry, Melati Suryodarmo, Christian Thompson

These artists will engage with endurance, presence and participation, creating an infinite possibility of encounters between visitors and artists. Visitors are encouraged to explore the various spaces, not just observe, and to return over the course of the project to track the changes and surprises in the evolving, long-durational pieces.

— MAI

After performing at the Royal Carré Theatre in Amsterdam in 2022, I participated in another event organized by MAI, this time the Adelaide Performance Art Festival in 2024. After understanding the spatial requirements of other artists, I considered different approaches to develop a flexible, interactive, and collaborative show. I designed 16 performance art proposals based on my Amsterdam performance. I aimed to experiment with multiple performances each day in various ways, testing how the same performance can change depending on its setting. This time, the performances were quite challenging, but it was a great learning experience.

Diary on 2nd March 2024

Today, I tried different performance pieces in various spaces and invited two volunteers to participate in the performances “Passing By” and “Smile”. I experimented with “Big Mountain on My Back” at an entrance and also a large sofa in the downstairs exhibition area, hoping to find the most suitable location for this piece. I experimented with the piece “The Little Doll and Small Stones”. I half squatted and pushed a pile of small stones forwards, while a doll resembling me sat on the stones, moving along with them, its posture changing as it went. The audience felt that the doll and I were having a lot of fun together. Through this piece, I experienced how performing on a smooth floor differed from performing on a rough carpet.

Diary on 3rd March 2024

Today I attempted to perform my work “Flying Luggage” in the waiting area of the theatre. I cut each line of text on a piece of paper into small strips, making a curved path with the strips to perform my work on. I tried four different ways of performing this piece, one was to perform quietly, one was to add some simple sounds, one was to use words, and one was to use not only the body and words but also the suitcase as an object. It was an interesting experiment as I wanted to figure out the best way to perform in such a noisy environment. 

For “Fingers and the Little Doll”, I went behind a black curtain, lying down on my side. The audience could only see my head, arms and hands, and they could see me making tiny movements to interact with the little doll lying close to my hand. 

I tried to continue the performance of “Fingers and the Little Doll” by lying down next to the sofa in the exhibition hall. Since I was interested in the big, old sofa, I tried sitting on it, putting my legs on the armrests, and using my toes to interact with the dolls in some small ways, completing the piece as “Toes and the Little Doll”. After the performance, the staff at the theatre gave me fantastic feedback, they thought the piece was childlike, poetic and very interesting.

Diary on 4th March 2024

I attempted “Flying Luggage” once again, as there was a large audience coming today, all waiting in the waiting area. I improvised “I am One of the Luckiest People in the World” in the meantime. Then I also attempted the performance “Toes and the Little Doll” which I had done yesterday on the sofa in the exhibition hall. Next, at the gallery entrance downstairs, I performed “Big Mountain on My Back”. Since there was light coming through the entrance, it was easy for the audience to see me when they came out from the exhibition area of different artists’ works. I also tried to perform on the sofa but felt that the entrance was the more appropriate venue.

I also tried the performance pieces “Fountain” and “Research” today, as well as “The Little Doll and Small Stones”. The carpet in the upstairs waiting area is made of a different material from the one downstairs, and the doll moves in a noticeably different way, moving faster on the carpet downstairs. I found it very interesting to explore these differences.

I also performed “Passing By” with one of the volunteers, and the two of us collaborated with a member of the audience on the performance “Kicking Sandbags”, in which we all chatted and got to know each other while gently kicking sandbags. I also briefly tried out the performance “Happy Yingmei” in another artist’s space in the gallery (Mike), where I thought it was great to use sound for the performance. Finally, I performed “Globe” where I was dressed and made up in a strange way, standing on a large sofa with one leg on the armrest and playing with a globe.