Inspired by artistic explorations of the self, society and the individual, we thought we'd share with you the performance Sólveig recently participated in by artist Xavier Cha in Soho, New York.
Besides a simple wooden bench in the middle of the white space, the Soho gallery was empty as audience members entered. At designated times a group of young performers walked onto the bench and took a seat, sitting neutrally before starting to react emotionally in unison to imaginary events. The lack of context created a disruption for the spectators who found themselves unable to join in with the group, and disturbed the group mentality and emotional behaviour we usually only witness within an appropriate setting.
“The work is a meditation on our own self-centeredness and shows how quickly we take other peoples reactions personally”
“As a temporary installation, the work attempts to resist traditional modes of commodification in a cultural moment when mere spectatorship can be extracted as market value in the form of personal data.”