Military Craft II, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

Military Craft II

19:00-19:30, 20.2.2013

Performed at opening of Imagined Communities

Curated by Miguel Amado

I performed Military Craft II, a progression of Military Craft, performed at Guangzhou Live. This is also showing as a video work and installation in the gallery.

See Imagined Communities exhibition here

See panel discussion here

Read a Sunday Times Review here

Military Craft, II, Video excerpt

Watch video

3 mins 33 secs from 19 mins 36 secs

Military Craft II was a fully improvised progression of Military Craft, performed at Guangzhou Live. Opening the exhibition Imagined Communities, at Golden Thread Gallery in Derry, my performance transposed the structure and rhythm of Military Craft onto a completely different historical and political context of the Northern Ireland Conflict and brutality of the 30 year Troubles. What ensued with the intimate audience was an intense and aggressively charged bi-ploaric interplay between myself as embodiment of the military symbol of police brutality, division between Unionists and Loyalists, Protestants and Catholics. There was high resistance from a critically closed audience which fuelled the power play of tense interactions that ultimately led to a reincarnation and transformation through my impromptu wearing of a translucent veil and the devastating breaking of the emblematic warrior weapon of my I-Ching Umbrella; a sign of defeat and bitter victory. The objects and recording remained as a video installation in the gallery following the live performance as a reminder of the liveness that had filled the space and evidence of the historic bloodshed that has come before.

A sequence of small gestures, actions and interactions involving the audience that considers such issues as territory, formation of communities, identities and beliefs/rights. Through actions and gestures, I enact the military might of the authoritative commander who territorialises, advances and forges empires, armies, communities, land… combined with the antithesis- lightness, compassion, openness of seer, savant who emanates compassion and an instinctive humility towards others- scaling emotions and acts in between.

This piece considers the carving, destruction, re-construction of individuals, nations and possession. It seeks to rethink the forming of belief systems, margins and borders, of self-needed acceptance, belonging, justice and the fragility that contrasts the results that come with self-defense. The I-Ching, chance and an improvised nature is central to this piece and opens a rupture space to in a bid to begin from the present. The performance lies in my catalyst actions and the effects are in response to the audience- perhaps their physical movement, playful perhaps in its liveness to seek the narrative the audience helps to build..

Performance stills

There was a pervasive, non-existent quality in the space throughout. It was really interesting how you incorporated objects… is this from religion (Communion) it made me think of this. Spectator

From Military Craft II Performance, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

I think it took me by surprise… how energetic it was. You can find that live performance in Belfast, and everywhere else i suppose, to focus on repetitive action or endurance, so I felt it quite refreshing to feel intimidated by your presence. At the beginning I remember being impressed by your flexibility and wondering if you were a dancer of some kind previously or as a child. You definitely took command of the room, and the entire exhibition at that point. I was intrigued at how you interacted with the objects and what they represented. But I’m still not entirely sure. It felt like you were creating a kind of playful historical, sociopolitical dialogue between two cultures.

From Military Craft II Performance, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

I found your movements seductively mesmerising and I was very engaged. Also as a pretty female in a pretty dress there was a kind of voyeuristic element to it all. Then you grabbed my friend Ben! He’s my best friend so I could see instantly he felt very uncomfortable and and bit shy from your sudden interaction. But that’s performance! You just have to go with it! So at that point I personally clammed up as i hadn’t expected a third wall like that to be broken. I don’t do very well acting or speaking in public so the idea of you approaching me physically was very intimidating. I still very much enjoyed the humour and diversity of your actions and how you interacted with others. There was a gentle harshness to it all. A bitter sweetness…I enjoyed the experience very much. Was i in the final edit of the recording?? I’ll have to go back to the exhibition and have a look if i get the chance.

Miguel Martin, spectator