PURGER

2019
performance
duration: 2 hours
Presented at The Watermill Center Annual Gala 2019, Long Island, New York

The idea of this performance was very simple and yet challenging - to shake my whole body for two hours. In this way, I wanted to refer to the title and slogan of the event during which the show was to take place - 'Tabula Rasa'. 

Putting the body into this kind of movement, shaking all the members of the body, is an ancient technique to help bring mindfulness back to the present moment, to the now. In this way, we get rid of tension in the body and stress, it helps to relax and let go. 

I was familiar with doing such an exercise for half an hour. I conducted two trials - 40 minutes and 60 minutes. I found that I was able to sustain myself in this movement for two hours and so I did during the demonstration.

During the demonstration I was in the garden between the trees. There were people walking around and I occupied one place and performed this continuous movement there. When an hour passed, I noticed that my perception changed and I fell into a kind of trance. After two hours I got a signal and finished the performance. I completely didn't expect how I would feel at that moment - I felt an extraordinary grounding, a connection to the earth, calm and settled. I didn't feel tired and on the contrary - I was bursting with energy that carried me through the long evening of celebration!