Del/Part 2
2017
2 live performances to the installation ” In the shadow of fear/ In the fear of shadows”
Regi/kostym/konst/ Direction/Costume/Art: Gülbeden Kulbay
Medverkande/Artists: Gülbeden Kulbay och Ebba von Wachenfeldt
Plats/Site: Skeppsta glashytta, Gnesta, Sweden
“Part 1” and “Part 2” are two performance works that were performed at the Vernissagen and the fines of the installation “In the Shadow of the Horror / In the Shadow of Horror”.
I call these works for relationship-specific works because the pictures come from our relationship. What happens in my and Ebba’s relationship happens in many other relationships, I think. There are states and situations that may arise when you are part of a relationship with someone.
The perfomance works are based on my and Ebba Wachenfeldt newborn relationship.
She, a glass artist, living in Skeppsta, Gnesta Kommun and I performance artist in Gnesta. I became curious about Ebba and her art two years ago. I wanted to work with her and contacted her in Nov. 2016. We talked about our art forms and what we like about them.
Ebba did not know what performance is and can be and I offered her to introduce her to it. We met a couple of times during the winter 2016-2017 and Ebba offered me to do an exhibition in her gallery in old Skeppsta school.
I thought we could do two performance works for the installation that deals with subconscious, unconscious and conscious spaces within us, and how we could actively challenge ourselves to be free from fear.
An excerpt from the text of the installation:
“We want to live big lives.” We want to live even greater lives. “What’s in the way? Can we show caring for others when we’re afraid? Can we survive terror? How can we survive and be free from our fears? Is there any courage? Is there still a fear of fear? What challenges us as an individual? The question: Are I afraid? What am I afraid of? And why? “
Part 1 is a form of how we actually choose to stand in relation to each other and tell each other about who we are.
We step out of a window located high on a building. Just below the window is a steep ladder. We take down one at a time. Down the field we look at each other and with slow steps we go apart. We have our own ways, our own goals. Ebba goes down to a forest grove and I walk behind the bushes. There on our targets there are a supplies placed. It’s a pistol-like thing that has a string attached. I’m starting to venture. Ebba begins to flip in. We weave each other into each other. Suddenly we see each other and we keep moving into each other.
Once in the middle we see each other’s eyes and then hand in hand and walk to the audience, about 200 visitors, who are our witnesses at the moment. Witnesses to the birth of our relationship. I have previously brushed brushes and bowls filled with ink. We place our bodies behind the bowls, and Ebba bends down to take a brush and then dip it into the pale black ink. She grabs my dress, an apricot-colored skirt like a big apron. She writes her words carefully. I see every move she makes, confirming her and her action.
When she’s finished, I write my letter on her dress.
When we are done with our action, we look out among our witnesses for a while. Then we take each other around each other’s waist and go our way together.
Part 2 is a design of how close it is. There is something in every heart I think that keeps away or is on duty. We also have a longing to be close to real.
I asked Ebba to blow two big bullets like a metaphor to the part of the heart that we keep away. I filled them with dried peanuts as a metaphor of blood and the love we actually want to be in.
The performance begins by going hand in hand (it’s a continuation of Part 1 where we ended). The walk is slow. We both have a glass ball around our throats. It is constantly placed between our breasts. We go up a hill and then go down. We take a seat on the lawn where there is a paved narrow path that divides into two.
We stand at the point where the ladder is divided. Ebba goes a few meters on one path and I walk on the other path. She makes a movement pattern with her body and finishes it by looking at me. I do my movement pattern and finish looking at Ebba. We go back to the place where we divorced. The front of the bodies are against each other. We embrace each other. The glass balls between us are hard, we need to take in the embrace to meet our chest. We take in ….. and one of the bullets is crushed in our arms. The glass platter with the peony is down at our feet. And immediately afterwards our tears fall.
The performance ends there for that time. We have a bullet left. Looking forward to creating part 3 with Ebba von Wachenfeldt. During the exhibition period and performance we came close to each other. We are still hanging out and talking about future collaborations.
Gülbeden Kulbay 