HIWTHI2 - CHOOSE VIOLENCE
Home is where the Heart is
Home is where the Heart is is a performance-based work series in progress, which explores mental and physical processes, that emerge out of psychological individuation. Moreover the work is attempting to form a multidimensional psycho-expressionistic construct, that approaches the many facets of individual as well as collective trauma and healing. The work is seeking to unfold unconscious layers of human conditioning and their interplay with socio-economic and political struggles and challenges.
Home is where the Heart is Pt. 2 - CHOOSE VIOLENCE
2022
Performative Installation
Fond der Wiener Kaufmannschaft
Vienna
Through experimental performance, preset in a conceptual frame, the work explores physical processes of so called “threat responses” of the human body.
Contemplating on the statements
“The trauma will be monetized!” and “Hurt people hurt people!”
the piece is artistically reflecting on a hypothesis of the capitalization of physiological and psycholocgical impairment.
The site-specific dramatic and performative installation took place at the former Haus der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, a prestigious, palace-like corner building with Neo-Baroque structuring and decor. The Merchants' House is a significant example of Vienna's representative architecture at the beginning of the 20th century. The 600 square meter installation space consisted of multiple rooms, that served as exhibition and performance areas for participating artists of the project LEERSTAND. For Home is where the Heart is Pt. 2 - CHOOSE VIOLENCE, the floor plan of the space built the conceptual layout of the installation.
The work included a total of nine performers, three of which were conceptualized as to going deeper into dramatic roles. The six remaining performers were asked to explore frameworks and rules, that were communicated prior to the live performance. The instruction for the additional six performers was a continuation of the power poses performance from „Home is where the Heart is Pt. 1 - Mirror exercise“. The power poses - namely the Wonder Woman, the „Obama“, the loomer, the performer, the CEO, - are proven to raise the testosterone levels and lower the cortisol levels in the body, a theory that is backed by a psychology study at Harvard Business school.
Left to right:
Stefanie Koscher, Alina Avsharova, Lau, Mona Rabovsky, Rica Fuentes-Martinez, Olga Rigava, Lucas Callaghan, Daniela Zacherl, Mercedes Kabir-Springer.
Home is where the Heart is Pt. 2 - CHOOSE VIOLENCE was not only installed as a performative installation in a physical exhibition space, but also broadcast live on Instagram, through a POV perspective. This live camera transmission was again simultaneously projected into the exhibition space. The three dramatic performers developed stylized roles, that were meant to portray so-called threat responses, i.e. the physiological responses to danger, namely fight, flight and freeze. They also were encouraged to interact with the audience. Remaining performers took the above mentioned power poses in the course of the evening, embodying a more sculptural nature. Combined with resting breaks in an installed meditative sound space, the performers were free to break out of poses, whenever needed.
The installation heavily relied the further key elements of sound and language.
The performative part of the installation lasted for about 3 hours.
Home is where the Heart is Pt. 2 - CHOOSE VIOLENCE
Performative Installation
August 22nd 2022
Haus der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, Vienna
Dramatic performers:
Mercedes Kabir-Springer
Stefanie Koscher
Daniela Zacherl
Power Posers / Performers:
Alina Avsharova
Lucas Callaghan
Rica Fuentes-Martinez
Lau
Mona Rabofsky
Olga Rigava
Production Management: Selena de Waard
Videography: Andreas Matzinger
As part of the exhibition project LEERSTAND