Live performance was a large component of “An Installation” (with Eliot Burk).  M A Harms and I were interested in the vulnerability that comes from doing something you don’t really know how to do. 

 

This performance had a simple score:

Bring our own musical instruments

Place them in the space

Set a timer for 25 minutes

Perform, focusing on the instruments you have no experience playing

 

But first, we taped mannequin torsos to our own, and wore mannequin face balaclavas created by Harms. Though we both feel most secure performing in masks, the costumes added an extra layer of exposure, both physically and logistically. Navigating the small, dark, crowded space was cumbersome, and the masks were very difficult to see through.  Earlier in the day, I had transformed the gallery into a ritual space, with piles of dirt, various personal objects, and the instruments themselves.  I personally performed by feeling my way through the landscape and listening to my partner, who I don’t think I saw once we began.  

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I considered editing the documentation to only show my favorite moments or camera angle, but I don't think that would be in the spirit of the thing.  So here is the full performance.