段英梅 · Yingmei Duan

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Observer at the HBK

Duration: 3 hours

Hochschule fuer Bildende Kuenste Braunschweig, Germany, 2005

Videostill: Mirko Winkel

Live performance

During my performance I observe the audience, and at the same time the audience observes me. I am at one, performer and audience.

The audience enters the exhibition area, they look around with curiosity and suddenly recognize a woman far above on the wall. That's me. I sit on a small platform. I pull my legs to my body to appear very small and watch the people with concentration through my large glasses. Motionless like a doll I rest on the platform, which is just big enough for me to sit on. I wear everyday clothes and over my shoulder I carry a white linen bag which is full of things, as if I were on the way to an appointment or had just come back from shopping. This requisite makes my appearance look funny. From my position I get a good view of what is going on around me and therefore I myself become a spectator of the exhibition.