Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece was first performed in Tokyo in 1964. In a passive manner, she invited the audience, one by one, to come up on stage and cut off pieces of her clothes. Throughout the performance, she sits motionless while men and women come forth to cut and bring back pieces of her garments. The passive manner Ono uses is similar to what I’ve used in previous works where I expose my own body to an audience. Ono’s work is especially interesting as it’s simple and direct and she also encourages other people to perform it themselves. This simple way of working is something I find interesting and appealing, not demanding direct attention but more being passively in connection with the surroundings.
In Re:Cut I also want to solely address the male’s view of himself. I want to create a room where I emphasize the relationship between men, between the men performing and the audience and thirdly, a more abstract relation within men and masculinity. There are two men on chairs where the cutting will be done by one upon the other. The performance will start with the two of them entering the space, sitting down and in a slow manner going forward with the cutting. Their eyes will rest upon each other, but they will at the same time not ignore the audience. In a careful and slow manner, the clothes of the second man will be cut off in small segments and fall to the floor. The second man will sometimes look at the first during the process, but otherwise sit motionless. Once done, the first man will sit back on his chair and after a few moments have passed, they will both rise up and exit the space. The cut off pieces will be left on the floor and could be picked up by anyone who wishes to do that. This will be done in other variations.
In Re:Cut I also want to solely address the male’s view of himself. I want to create a room where I emphasize the relationship between men, between the men performing and the audience and thirdly, a more abstract relation within men and masculinity. There are two men on chairs where the cutting will be done by one upon the other. The performance will start with the two of them entering the space, sitting down and in a slow manner going forward with the cutting. Their eyes will rest upon each other, but they will at the same time not ignore the audience. In a careful and slow manner, the clothes of the second man will be cut off in small segments and fall to the floor. The second man will sometimes look at the first during the process, but otherwise sit motionless. Once done, the first man will sit back on his chair and after a few moments have passed, they will both rise up and exit the space. The cut off pieces will be left on the floor and could be picked up by anyone who wishes to do that. This will be done in other variations.
April 7, 2017
Re:Cut, performance in Bergen Kunsthall, Norway.
Excerpt of 3 min, total aprox. 25 min.
Performers: Jan Rådvik and Håkan Magnusson
Re:Cut, performance in Bergen Kunsthall, Norway.
Excerpt of 3 min, total aprox. 25 min.
Performers: Jan Rådvik and Håkan Magnusson