187.eng

Project 187. Talamus 1,2+3
Amygdala performance company

During the spring of 2003 I got the opportunity of doing a performance exhibition at Sturegallerian in Stockholm. The exhibitions offered and element of surprise consisting of scenes which one absolutely did not expect to see in a shopping mall. I christened the exhibitions Talamus (the brain’s switchboard) and hoped that just this part of the brain would be activated in the onlooker on these three occasions.

In “Talamus 1” I gathered together 25 surgeons who, for a period of 60 minutes raked an empty premises in Sturegallerian. A contemplative act which cannot be done good or bad since there is no work to be done.
“Talamus 2” has the subheading “homage to Lev Vygotskij” (The Russian psychologist). He says, “Every experience which a person experiences during their lifetime is like a fold in a piece of white paper – further on in life the paper will continue to fold in the same way.”
I collected 12 people of different ages, painted them white and draped then in white sheets. For a period of 60 minutes they folded 3,000 sheets of white A4 paper to letting them finally drop to the floor.
“Talamus 3” consisted of 12 fencers in full regalia, armed with butterfly nets, hunting nonexistent insects. Here I worked with a composer, Martin Q Larsson, who illustrated the performance with sound. The collaboration with Martin resulted in the piece E-fence [stycket E-Fäkt]. Art music for cello and electrobucket composed by Martin Q Larsson and performed by Martin Q Larsson and Christian Hörgren.
The piece is also performed with 5 to 10 dancers under the name of Talamus

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/text

project 187

JOHAN FERNER STRÖM