Study for Crossing
Situation:
The big hall of the art-centre “ 't Duvelhok” is by means of colonnades divided into a few paths, each 24 meters long and 6 meters wide and each having its own roof, for one half consisting of glass. The skylight fills the whole length, i.e. From wall to wall.
During the performance I'm dressed in grey and bare-footed.
Attached to each foot there is a contact microphone which is connected to a sound installation. A metronome is marking the seconds.
Performance:
Towards twilight – but when there is still full daylight - I switch on the metronome and the sound-installation and I place myself with my back against a short wall. Along the diameter of the path I start moving towards the opposite wall, by dragging myself forward on the concrete floor by means of my toes, second by second, thus making the biggest move possible on this way (about 5 cm. every move).
The movements of my feet can be heard in the room by means of the sound-installation. As twilight increases, the moves get smaller every second, thus weakening the sound too. I concentrate on the reduction of the light in proportion to my mind and the distance which remains to be covered, so when arriving at the other side, I come to a standstill in total darkness (as far as the weather allows).
The closer I come to the other side, the less perceptible my movements are, which is caused by the increasing dusk as well as by the decreasing distance of the moves. The sound does decrease in volume and tone, but until the last moment there remains an audible movement in the loudspeakers. On the concrete floor the line covered by me remains visible for some time as double dark stripe, because of the perspiration of my feet.
year | 1984 |
date | 31.08.84 |
location | Duvelhok Tilburg NL |
photography | Lex van Lith |
project or event | Performance festival Duvelhok |