Performance art at The Carriageworks in Sydney is world class. And often naked. Story – Mark Ferguson. Image – Peter Greig.
I just returned from the Venice Biennale which I would call informative not transformative. Art benefactor’s Kalder’s newest local project by artist Xavier LeRoy – “Temporary Title” – was transformative.
On the weekend at the Carraigeworks a dozen naked dancers crawl, rest, pose as we sit on the floor of the huge bay around them. The dancers perform a loose sequence of mesmerizing moves – never standing up — that runs for about an hour. Occasionally some of the dancers approached us and said,” Can I ask you a question?”
A naked young man approached me on all fours as I sat on the floor my back against the pillar, “How was your education?” I didn’t think too much as I’ve reflected on the benefits and deficiencies of my education many times.
We discussed pragmatic themes of how my education was academic – in psychology and philosophy – and his – in industrial design and then dancing – was vocational. He asked me if it was the content or the teacher that was most important. I said it was content – a good teacher just made the learning process easier. My conversation with this naked young man was pleasant enough but brief. Others conversations seemed to be going longer. Perhaps I had missed the point.
A little later an equally naked young girl approached me similarly on all fours, “Is it easier to fall in love or out of love?” she asked. I didn’t have an answer. I said both were difficult.
We talked in depth about the disruption of falling of love and the endless judgments required finding time enough for love, never quite knowing what the right thing to do was.
We talked about the impact travelling for work and its impact on partners. We talked of how betrayal by the heart was greater than betrayal by the body. We talked about the people we meet away from partners and the depth these new relationships should be allowed to naturally progress. I was learning from someone much younger than me.
Behind us an older man has started to undress – I tried not to look thinking one of the spectators had decided to participate. “You’re relieved” he said to the young girl. She explained her shift was over but we still talked a little longer
In the second encounter I understood the transformative nature of this latest Kalder project and perhaps the flaws in my own relationships.
