MENU OF THE DAY

One body, one creative force, and an audience with the power to influence both. This performance reveals the raw vulnerability of live creation and the dynamic interplay between artist and observer, blurring the lines of control and collaboration..

Menu of the Day is a 6-hour durational performance presented at Pique Winter Edition 2023 in Ottawa. This immersive exhibition blends performance and installation art, offering insights into the artist's creative process and the challenges encountered along the way.

Featuring artworks crafted from discarded materials, such as plastic bottles, the exhibition underscores the environmental impact of consumerism. Within the exhibition space, viewers explore a maze of suspended and floor and wall-based installations, alongside a replica of the artist's home studio. This setting provides a window into the artist's world and the context of their creations.

A continuous performance unfolds as the artist engages in their creative practice, accompanied by a contemporary dancer who interprets the artist's inner struggles. Through movement, the dancer conveys the artist's internal dialogue and external distractions, reflecting the challenges faced by artists throughout their journey. Audience interaction is key, with viewers using pocket-sized monotron to influence the performance through sound manipulation. The dancer's movements respond dynamically to the rhythm and intensity of audience engagement, blurring the boundaries between observer and participant.

Throughout the performance, the artist is openly sharing the vulnerabilities of her creative process. Simultaneously, the dancer embodies these moments of creation and struggle, moving continuously in response to the audience's manipulations of sound. This setup grants the audience significant power over the dancer, exposing her to their influence and making her vulnerability palpable.

Conceptual Framework: Eylül Bozok & Günsu Hayriye Ozan

Dancer: Eylül Bozok

Visual Artist: Günsu Hayriye Ozan

ARTS COURT • Ottawa • 2023