works2019

A textual and visual exploration into thought and presence

A state of absolute disappearance

"It has been said that the great events of the world
take place in the brain.
It is in the brain, and the brain only,
that the great sins of the world take place also."
~ Oscar Wilde

I think, therefore I am, five words confirming our existence, according to Descartes' philosophical thought experiment.
Our thoughts may prove to us that we exist, they are also the core actor in a life rife with conflict and paradox.

A state of absolute disappearance is a performance about thought and mental health, turning a questionnaire into a conversation between equals. The statements presented as a dialogue morph into a certain ‘oneness’ through overlapping, and are guided by the voice of a doctor talking about mental health.

A state of absolute disappearance gives the coming and going of the mind's voice (and contradictory ideas) a chair to sit on.
The performance exposes a hidden conversation with the self, voicing the complexity of the individual. Making use of a list of statements –tools to determine a person’s mental health– diametrically opposing thoughts are transformed into an absurd dialogue.

Voicing these contradictions in thought and placing paramount attention to it, (re)examines Descartes’ ‘I think therefore I am’, and overshadow other complexities sustained by a physical body.

The presentation of the statements with subtle differences in their phrasing brings up questions concerning attention, entitlement, body awareness, and work ethics.

The statements are taken from an online questionnaire to determine whether a person might have a personality disorder.

A textual and visual exploration into thought and presence