EPHEMERAL PLEASURES
Ephemeral Pleasures is a two-hour performance presented at Union Française de Montréal as part of an event organized by Aussenwelt. This work explores vulnerability and the raw nature of anonymous decision-making. The performer, who has given full consent to be touched as the audience wishes, is wrapped in plastic and blindfolded, inviting viewers to engage by either offering water or making physical contact. This simple choice challenges both performer and audience to confront the tension between personal vulnerability and the unfiltered impulse of anonymous actions.
Throughout the performance, the artist cannot see or move, relying entirely on the audience’s decision to either provide hydration or make physical contact. Each visitor wears gloves and must choose only one form of engagement—Hydrate or Explore. This clear, binary choice brings to the forefront how anonymity can alter our decision-making. Without the usual social cues and accountability, participants are prompted to act on raw impulses and personal ethics.
As time passes, the gradual build-up of heat and sweat beneath the plastic mirrors the emotional and physical strain of these decisions, intensifying the performer’s state of vulnerability.
Alongside the live performance is a mixed-media series of scanned photographs of artist’s gloved hands, capturing fleeting, vulnerable moments of touch. For a deeper exploration of the visual narrative, please visit EPHEMERAL PLEASURES.
Choreography and conceptual framework: Eylül Bozok
Performer: Eylül Bozok
Videographer: Tesnim Dridi
Union Française de Montreal • Montreal • 2024
