The Colour of Distance, 2022

This performance is an exploration of my interest for hospitality and its cultural differences through the simple act of greeting. During the Foire d’art alternatif de Subdury (FAAS), in June 2022 taking place at the Croatian Center, I entroduced myself before saying that I was not going to make a frontal performance. I invited people to have a drink at the venue’s bar, sitting and standing as if they were waiting for a music show to start. Using small talk as primary medium, I started my furtive journey of greeting one after the other in a randomized order, engaging with the modular questions: “How do you greet people?” “How do you respond to greeting?” I then mirorred their prefered gesture and we engaged in the action together. I greeted around 60 people. There was physical contact, body language, shaking hands, waving hands, smiles, eye contact, hugs, one kiss on the right cheek, two kisses: the right one first, and the left one second for some, and the opposite order for others, shoulder touch, voicing a word, refusal, timidity, complete embrace, hello, hi, bonjour, que tal, and words I can’t remember in polish, haitian creole, arabic, farsi, amongts many other languages. 

Performance artist, researcher and pedagogue, Veronica Mockler writes:

[…]During these liminal conversations, social connection and information is sought, while also admittedly escalating one's own artistic relevance. What can reasonably be expected when experiencing a performance art piece, and how willing are we to be challenged or disappointed? Does an artwork fulfill its purpose when it engages us through the means of aggravation, confusion, subversion, or boredom? https://galeriegalerieweb <dis>