" TOUCH ME "
Performances 2001
( with my students of the Academy of Liedekerke )
( Click on the pictures to see more )
" Earth - Body - Nervous system - Reflection "
Ruvanti and his students Leila and Jamilla Mstoian.
Duration 60 minutes.
CC Strombeek 12 - 1 - 2001.
CC Roeselare 2 - 2 - 2001.
The human body is connected to the body of the earth.
The human body feels by his nervous system.
Copper is the nervous system of the earth.
Two students ( identical Russian twins ) are sitting motionless facing
their reflection in a mirror. They are packed in slowly by a web of
copper. They are telling their sensations directly to their reflection
in the mirror and indirectly to each other in their native language.
" Earth - Body - Nervous system - Reflection "
( Drawing on computer : study for performance ).
" Earth - Body - Nervous system - Reflection "
( Triptych: digital photography on panel 84 x 240 ).
" Earth - Body - Nervous system - Reflection "
( Installation: earth, copperwire, mirror, video ).
( Click on the picture to see more , click on the videoscreen to see videostils )
" Body - Nervous system - Steel "
Ruvanti and his students.
Constructions Espeel N.V. Rumbeke.
1O - 2 - 2001: duration 2 x 50 minutes.
11 - 2 - 2001: duration 4 x 40 minutes.
How does the vulnerable human body experience the hard reality of steel
and the physical power and the violence of the industrial machine ? What
does the body feel inside the stressed, nervous industrial space ? The human
body is connected to the body of the earth and alienates inside the industrial
space. The human body feels by his nervous system. Copper is the nervous
system of the earth. The performance " Body - Nervous system - Steel " consists
of two parts. In the first part the students are tied up to the machines of a
steelplant while it is working. They are dressed in yellow ( nervous colour ) and
are using copper wire ( nervous system ). While interfering in a symbolic way
in the production process they feel the force, hardness, violence, and weight
of the steel and the machine. During the second part four students are sitting
motionless under a yellow cloth facing each other before a life audience in the
hall of the steelplant. Only their heads are visible and motionless for the public
eyes. The yellow cloth stands for nervous system. Their heads are enlarged by
copper coloured hats. The form of the hats refer to the inquisition hats worn by
heretics. The students are sitting between two videoscreens showing images
of the first part. During the performance the students try to feel the vibrations
connected to the industrial space. Under the cloth, invisible for the public,
they write down their feelings.
" Body - Nervous system - Steel 1 "
( Computer graphic art ).
" Body - Nervous system - Steel 2 "
( Computer graphic art ).
" Body - Nervous system - Steel "
( Computer graphic on canvas 110 x 140 )
" Body - Nervous system - Steel 3 "
( Computer graphic on canvas 140 x 110 )