Thursday 24 November 2016

"Why do you want to live another year?"


There I was, having some lovely time in Paris during the contemporary art fair Paris Internationale in the end of october, but not knowing what to do after the closing times of the galleries. The weather was too nice for an autumn evening so the mission was not completed yet. After a little research via Facebook I got to know about a late night performance in the member's club of the filmmaker David Lynch. And so I went there to see the performance of American novelist, poet and criminal defense attorney  Vanessa Place. I didn't know she was an attorney until I googled her. She is also a codirector of an independent, nonprofit literary press, Les Figues. 

It was the first time I saw her performance and I must say that the mix of experience of the space and the performance was  intense in a good way. The club is designed in the style of David Lynch films - enigmatic, dark, sensual, distant and the performance was build around the forbidden fruit, the question of a suicide. The artist was reading out loud an interesting text touching upon experiences and just thoughts around the wish to die. It kept my attention because there was maturity, wisdom and also some kind of sweetness to it. The dark red setting of the performance was complimenting the act. Her words "Why do you want to live another year? Why do you want to live another two years?" made me wonder about the moments that we subtract from our future vision or an image in our mind and place into the now. I think that in my age many women live at least partly for their kids, but the only experience I ever had was living for myself. It probably made me into this independent woman who wants to live another year to at least try to fulfil her dreams and challenge herself, avoiding deep swamps. Now I sound like a western product, but I can't disagree that doing what I love for another year would be great. To see and to show art that has depth and ability to take you to places that you want to explore. 






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