In "Centrifug,, Festival of Performance art", Dansstationen, Malmö 4-6.5.2006
Skulpturale Handlungen, Galerie der Künstler, BBK München 22.7.-18.8.2006

The performance „Screaming feathers“ works on the current Problem of the bird flu, which makes "angst". The threat of a pandemic epidemie let us experience the elements of the performance, feathers and chicken shouting in a mixture of beauty and danger. 2000 chickens produce a very loud cackling, an acoustic noise, which can´t be described. At the beginning of the performance the spectator sees the artist in a black dress handeling some safety divices, an eye protector, a mouth protection, rubber gloves as well as a showering hood. The Performance takes place in a particularly manufactured area with walls of semipermeable plastic, which reminds in absurd way of a Labotorium. In addition the chickens begin too cackle. With a knife the artist slits altogether 10 cushions and distributes the feathers like Mrs. Holle, all feathers in the area. She makes it with visible physical effort, so that the feathers jumble around. It is as if she were an animal fighting for the last breath. The surface of the cushions let the viewers easily forget, that a danger hides inside. We even sleep on the cushions, without being too much disturbed. Next to being exposed to this danger the viewer also sees the beauty of these feathers. Thus “Screaming feathers” try point out, that everything has two sides.

10 cushions, polythene sheet, eye protector, a mouth protection, rubber gloves, showering hood, knife, CD Player, HIFI Boxes; Amplifier, Spotlights

30 min

Camera, Videostills by Hans T Sternudd
Photos by Ylva Magnusson, Wilfried Petzi
Sound by Georg Klein