installation and traces

On March 18 and 25 our Performance and Video class had to present an installation piece to the rest of the group. The pieces were all very different in content, but could be divided into two main forms: participative and observational.
Anna White presented a piece titled "Practice!" where she installed a bulletin board and a varied array of props to practice whatever activity one would be interested in: from meditation to boxing to playing with a yo-yo. Her aim was to have all kinds of people come in and use this space. Her piece was similar to mine in that they both asked for the participation and involvement of the audience to make the installations effective. For my own piece I brought in a mirror which I placed in the middle of two very different outfits: a business suit and the clothes of a homeless man. I spoke to the audience about the owners of the clothing and invited them to try the clothes on to raise the question of how the clothing we wear changes how we act towards others and how others act towards ourselves. Lindsay Page's piece also required the participation of the audience, as she made a webpage of a woman who was looking for her lost girlfriend and there was a live stream chat where she was talking about the search for her partner. What made her installation alive was the interaction between the audience and this fictional character.
Other people like Francis, Genevieve and Patrick presented pieces that were meant to be observed without intervention. Francis' piece was one I particularly enjoyed: an empty podium on a spotlight with a voice that hesitated and doubted as if it were going to start a speech but never articulated anything.
Genevieve used theatrical props to narrate a child-like story of a woman who turned people into pears if they kept secrets from her. She was standing while she told the story, and the group sat around at a certain distance, giving her the only focus.
Francisco's piece was part of both categories as it was meant to be observed but it was also very accessible for the audience to engage with him in dialogue while he laid in the room and covered his body in maple syrup and gold leaf.