BENGALURU: Last week, performance artiste Avril Stormy Unger seated herself on a straight-back chair under the Double Road flyover with a bouquet of flowers. Titled ‘Only Time Will Tell’, the work called attention to the passage of time, through wilting of flowers over 10 hours.
Excerpts from an interview:
Why should Bengalureans be reminded about time?
In their fast life, people often forget to take time for themselves and slow down a bit, to just watch and observe the changes around you.I came up with the Only Time Will Tell series in early 2014 while I was going through some issues in my professional and personal life… I wanted to use my own body to create work with no lights, sounds, visuals, just my presence in time.
Why public spaces?
I enjoy interactions with people in public spaces and the ability to reach such a large mass of people from all walks of life. Also these interventions are new, people’s reactions are spontaneous. Why should art be restricted to galleries?
In a city so in love with theatre and the stage, why are you trying to break down barriers between performer and audience?
We are living in a time where we are disconnected from each other even though we could be neighbours or friends, and through performance I reduce that space between us. Deconstructing the power relationship between audience and performer interests me.
Which public spaces are best suited for performance art?
Any, though I love to perform on a flyover, in a Metro station, on a bus and in a mall.
Your earlier work Please Call the Police was on uneasiness in home. Could you share a bit about that?
‘Please Call the Police’ is a deeply personal project. It is not only reflective of my memories but also came about from conversations with my mum and her experiences with her students. She has been a principal for over 25 years and interacts with situations related to her students’ home life and how that affects them. As a child we always assume our home of being the safest space but how safe is a home? PCTP is a view of childhood that’s complicated and isn’t always pleasant.
One person who inspires your art?
My mother. Her integrity and strong morals will always be a huge part of my work.