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POLITICS OF SILENCE

REALITY RESEARCH CENTER

 

Politics of Silence was a series of performances dealing with and creating experiences of silence. It was both an investigation on the human silent experience and to the possibility or impossibility on silence in our society. The performances rising from this research strived to create situations, where the audience could experience silence. This was accomplished by several different versions of a silent or still space – a space where one can quiet down.

The performance was composed of bodily installations, into which the participants could step into. Each installation had a performer trained to encounter the participant in a silent way. For example, the participant could engage in a slowmotion dance, sit next to a performer, look at a performer in the eyes or lay down with a bear. All the installations and performers tried to create as silent and still space as possible.

Politics of Silence was a part of Reality Research Centers research plan of 2007 focusing on political performance. Three different versions of the performance were created during the year: the first in May at the Kamppi shopping center, the second in October at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and the third in November under the title Silent Orgasm at Culture Factory Korjaamo, as a part of The Great Orgasm Festival.

 

 

CONCEPT & DIRECTION: Julius Elo, Anna Jussilainen, Tuomas Laitinen

PERFORMERS: Julius Elo, Saara Hannula, Anna Jussilainen, Tuomas Laitinen, Minja Mertanen, Petri Taipale, Janne Saarakkala

PHOTOGRAPHY: Jan Ahlstedt