go
[photo by bethany deline]
improvisational dance piece in public space with olive bieringa
performed june 28 2006
minneapolis 5:oo pm
starting at peavy plaza downtown and moving up nicollet avenue to franklin avenue
duration : one hour and fifty minutes
spending time in the american public landscape can feel naked if one thinks about the thousands of potential eyes and ears from such sources as occupied buildings, surveillance cameras, and mobile pedestrians. most people, i suspect, do not think about those watchers consciously, but rather hold themselves in a certain way in public subconsciously from years of training and societal pattern learning. to physically break away from the socially acceptable mold is at best noticeable by the others and at worst can cause severe disturbance to thoroughly established methods of conduct, especially in well trafficked areas of the city. it may be important to note that edges of those boundaries are fairly well defined, yet they are most often flexible. to probe the perceptions and reactions of public persons is to engage individuals through sensory cues which may lie dormant normally. an awakening and checking of those cues allows each individual a chance to redefine and examine where they place cues and what shape those potential boundaries assume. i find this area of public performance, especially the aesthetic and intention in the dance piece 'go,' by olive bieringa, to be an important engagement of pedestrian public with controlled performative detachment from society, creating a mixture of perception challenge and expression within the cityscape. to move and mold the notion and practice of public behavior while simultaneously understanding and accepting the impetus of that examination to be of well established societal roles and rules is certainly an undertaking, but can be very rewarding to both the artist and the public persons.
olive has performed this piece
in public several times in various cities
more information on her website here
[photo by sean smuda]