Chandelier (2015)
(performance)
(performance)
Photos by Nicolas Gertier
Location: Studio Untitled, Montreal
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
The artist hangs from the ceiling, semi-nude, in a dark space holding three lit candles at midnight. Below is a table with an additional four candles, as well as five bottles of Prosecco, thirty glasses and a cheese platter. There is a letter posted to the door instructing guests to help themselves. Hanging for over an hour, blindfolded and in silence, the artist attempts to fulfill the purpose of a chandelier; at once a decorative object and the primary source of light in the space. The host becomes part of the infrastructure, the guests become the hosts, the dynamic evolves over time.
The first part of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite plays on a gramophone in the corner until it reaches the end. No one lifts the needle. For the rest of the performance, it fills the space with a resonant white noise.
In the beginning, guests arrive and are silent. They eventually whisper among each other, pour themselves a glass and gradually begin to forget the presence of the artist. Meanwhile, they remain suspended as it becomes increasingly painful. Through the blindfold, the artist sees nothing but the light of the flames held by their hands and feet. Molten wax drips freely on on their body and the leather harnesses dig into their skin, causing bruising, numbness and cuts with excruciating pain. They endure this pain until they hear the last bottle open, then finally blow out the candles.
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
The artist hangs from the ceiling, semi-nude, in a dark space holding three lit candles at midnight. Below is a table with an additional four candles, as well as five bottles of Prosecco, thirty glasses and a cheese platter. There is a letter posted to the door instructing guests to help themselves. Hanging for over an hour, blindfolded and in silence, the artist attempts to fulfill the purpose of a chandelier; at once a decorative object and the primary source of light in the space. The host becomes part of the infrastructure, the guests become the hosts, the dynamic evolves over time.
The first part of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite plays on a gramophone in the corner until it reaches the end. No one lifts the needle. For the rest of the performance, it fills the space with a resonant white noise.
In the beginning, guests arrive and are silent. They eventually whisper among each other, pour themselves a glass and gradually begin to forget the presence of the artist. Meanwhile, they remain suspended as it becomes increasingly painful. Through the blindfold, the artist sees nothing but the light of the flames held by their hands and feet. Molten wax drips freely on on their body and the leather harnesses dig into their skin, causing bruising, numbness and cuts with excruciating pain. They endure this pain until they hear the last bottle open, then finally blow out the candles.