Sergina's Stimulatingly Sexy Simultaneous Simulation of Herself at The Lowry and Places Beginning with B - with Elly Clarke from Viva La Zoom on Vimeo.
#Sergina's Stimulatingly Sexy Simultaneous Simulation of Herself is a simultaneous performance by gender-ambiguous drag queen #Sergina, taking place in several places at once by performers wearing identical outfits with the same makeup, lip-syncing to the same songs to the same choreography before live audiences, linked up (and broadcast) via Google Hangout. The performance explores the tussle between the grounded organic body (which can be only ever in one place at once) and the digital image, which can be (projected) simultaneously almost anywhere. It also explores gender identity in a world where the physical body is so often no longer co-present with others, and yet where its (digital, ‘enhanced’) image has more power than possibly ever, with huge influence on how one should look and be...
Lasting 17 minutes this performance first took place at The Lowry in Salford Quays (for the opening night of RIGHT HERE/RIGHT NOW) and simultaneously, in Brooklyn, Berlin, Belgrade and Bristol - and was broadcast live via http://thisistomorrow.info/ from The Lowry and (from all venues) via Google Hangout via #Sergina’s YouTube channel: . All songs are written by Elly Clarke in collaboration with different people. Each performance is aided by Handsome Boys and Tech Girls – of all genders.
Following the tradition of instructional artwork artists such as Sol Le Witt Mariana Abramovic or Yoko Ono, and influenced by the way we live now in at least two dimensions simultaneously online & off with the pressure to update both our organic and digital bodies/profiles constantly, the performance sees #Sergina as an organic avatar, or franchise to be rented out, (purchased even?) and consumed. A situation where gestures, like code or like family resemblances, are taught, learned, performed and re-formed, affecting and infecting her locations and their inhabitants differently each time.
The audience is made up of people online (mostly), and offline (fewer). Every stage of Sergina’s coming out - in life, art, in videos and online has been in association with others.
#Sergina has been described as 'post gender' but the artist sees this as justs one element of 'post-physical', where, with most of our interactions taking place online and the importance of being anywhere physically is being called increasingly into question. What happens to the organic body when the digital version looks so much better? Clarke would like that people can recognise themselves in #Sergina, and think about their own use of technology and how it impacts on their own sense of self and relationships.
Right Here, Right Now from Viva La Zoom on Vimeo.
SERGINA'S STIMULATINGLY SEXY SIMULTANEOUS SIMULATION OF HERSELF AT THE LOWRY AND IN PLACES BEGINNING WITH B - 11TH NOVEMBER 2015: 8PM UK / 9PM BERLIN + BELGRADE / 3PM BROOKLYN
at: The Lowry, SALFORD QUAYS at the launch of RIGHT HERE / RIGHT NOW
and simultaneously in 4 other places beginning with b:
>>BELGRADE @ G12 HUB - with Vladimir Bjelicic [9PM]
>>BERLIN @ MONSTER RONSON'S ICHIBAN KARAOKE - with Liz Rosenfeld [9PM]
>>BRISTOL @ The Island - with Kate Spence [8PM]
>>BROOKLYN @ SECRET PROJECT ROBOT - with Raul de Nieves [3PM]
+ HANDSOME BOYS + TECH GIRLS of All Genders In Every Place
ALSO Live broadcast (from The Lowry) via This is Tomorrow and YouTube.
Costumes by Patricia Muriale / Makeup by Roseanna Velin.
Click HERE for full cast list.
#SERGINA'S STIMULATINGLY SEXY SIMULTANEOUS SIMULATION OF HERSELF AT SHOUT AND IN BEDROOMS IN PLACES BEGINNING WITH B
12TH NOVEMBER 2015: 8.30PM UK / 9.30PM BERLIN + BELGRADE / 3.30PM BROOKLYN
at: BOM lab for SHOUT FESTIVAL, Birmingham
and simultaneously in bedrooms in 4 other places beginning with b:
BELGRADE with Vladimir Bjelicic [9PM]
BERLIN with Liz Rosenfeld [9PM]
BIRMINGHAM with Kate Spence [8PM]
BROOKLYN with Raul de Nieves [3PM]
+ HANDSOME BOYS In Every Place
+ AFTER PARTY
FB INVITE: https://www.facebook.com/events/418568608337474/