Post show workshop thoughts to Vincent Riebeek 'Justice' 2012

This is personal feedback requested from the Dutch performance artist visiting NZ to perform 'Justice' at Artspace as part of the curated exhibition by Arron Santry Alienate/demonstrate/edit 2012 and take a workshop on integration of tarot with art/performance
http://artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2012/default.asp?artwork=1387

Hi Vincent,

 Its been a few weeks since i said i would write to you with my thoughts on your workshop and show in auckland but i've been a bit consumed with preparations for going to berlin/ny and tying up things here too. However I said I would so here goes:

On reflection, both your work and your workshop were very satiating for me but also left me wanting more! Something intriguing and personally appealing about them both, it was interesting to see performance art/dance in artspace for a start, which generally never happens. It it not a performance venue so curious to see it curated to have this and watch a scene of people definitely not used to this intrigued by it! This gallery is very much invite only. A lot of the people in dance who would have appreciated the work did not even know it happened! For me this says a lot about the context here for performance, dance and segregation from fine arts so was nice to see it supported in this space. Enough of local politix!

The work was interestingly playful, both deconstructive and earnest. I was interested in the gender politics toyed with, setting the male body up in this objectifying, posing, satirical, playful paradigm has certain connotations of male sexuality which was offset by a song with your fiance. I liked this confusion, this sense of what is this guy up to? Is he fucking with us? (I love that! I do that!) A new age shrine to male sexuality, mediated erection glitter and orgasm.. playful and satirical of sacredness, the breaking of a lotus flower. Something almost asian fusion about this, the mish mash of popular cultures.

My favourite part was the candid speech and song, which seemed to capture a lot of people. Satire offset by personal disclosure, never taken too seriously is very human and draws people in. I really liked your gentle and inviting tone. Overall it was very fun and I liked how earnestly you gave eye contact with the audience which for me had a genuine sense of humility and vulnerability, playful but with a sweet desire to connect. It was tongue and cheek? I am interested in performance in which you don't really know what truth is, what IS truth? In playing around we can reveal so much, in speaking earnestly we presume it is the truth but it infact may be fiction. I am interested in this because I play with this myself. Like is this song with fiance for real? Is it fiction, satire, is it both or all? And the sudden shifts with no explanation, yes. Good. I like that.

 Did the performance feel vulnerable for you? I am so interested in this.. in this strange country so far away, you don't know if this is a hoax.. ? Who are these people, what are they used to? Are they playing a trick on you? The gallery space is so exposed is it not? So glaring and bright, nothing hidden. Its showtime, yet there is no hiding in the dark shadows of theatre. We are nudes on a plinth in the white box. I wanted to see more.. :)

The workshop was great, it was refreshing as while a few of us here keep the artforms of dance/performance progressing it feels like gods work at times. Again- so many dance people did not even know about the workshop, ones who would've enjoyed it. Mark seemed to keep it very quiet. But was great to have a mix of dance and fine arts people. It was like yay european wind! (so glad i'm going back). The space between body exploration, intuition, creativity, concept, layers of meaning and ideas.. its something I explore and enjoy.

Trance created by shaking, challenge of discipline to stick task amidst somatic body shake up, great. Testing new things, get the synapses going, violently waking the body up. Something autistic about dance for me so often, something obsessive compulsive, repeating 'clock, clock, clock', exit exit .. trancelike, mad. Ritualistic. Great, grotesque. I think it was quite hard core for the fine arts people, not used to embodied work.

 The task of moving another's body for me brought up lots of projection, what we project onto another's body, what our relationship is to that body, how we choose to position our own body. How far can you go objectifying another, or getting them to 'do' something to us. Active and passive is so subjective, how active or passive is the passive one? All experiences, differing with people. And the experience of working with a male or female for me was very different, interesting. Intimate, quietly confronting. Words, text, writing, I have written so much so so much from this place.. love what comes out. In a way it was nice to not be too precious about what words came out, too attached. I can get very very serious about what i am saying.. it all comes out anyway without trying too hard.


I am very interested in tarot and this is what drew me to the workshop, its interesting how synchroncity happens.. I have started doing readings for my friends who seem to get a lot from it and as you say its just one interpreting the cards, the magic is in the space between. And even seeing you perform in artspace as I am moving in a fine arts direction with my performance because dance is largely very conservative here and in europe i got called anarchist. Synchronicity to inspire.

 It would be so interesting to explore tarot on each other as participants, like I had no idea Jodorovsky (who is also my favourite director btw!) gave physical interpretations and administered magical rituals for people to do according to their reading. I really appreciated what you said about using art/performance for healing as I completely agree and have worked toward this for many years, at times being called shaman. I don't like these labels because they're too culturally specific and static but I like your alignment of art practice with magic at the core, creativity with transformation. These things do not seem to have a place in academic art, which often over rationalises.. and creativity comes second, it over thinks, it becomes obvious, mono conceptual, afraid, deadened. Like live a little! Perhaps that is what i am doing right now! I do like to think, but the space created for genuine creative practice is important and the facilitation toward practice-lead and collective/individual research such as this is fertile. It was a pleasure to do.

I taught a workshop recently where I also got people to continually improvise a performance with objects, a task, not overthinking.. just do something, feel it. It is a wonderful space from which to create and share and very interesting as a process to watch and be involved in. Also with the layer of a tarot card, something I have also been exploring. I was pleased to pull my favourite, The Star. I do think there is space for people to share and talk about what's happened but I do appreciate that you can create more fertile space also from not talking or over sharing.. that each takes something away for themselves which is special and unique. I enjoyed the opportunity to do something like this that was not initiated by me, so thank you. It was exciting to see other people working in this way and facilitated to do so as well. And again I wanted more!! haha .. perhaps i am just starved here.

 Hope that is interesting and helpful!

 Best, Alexa