What are we loading?

Participative performance with pallets structures and threads

research about participatory art work to restore social tissue in difficult times

by Rodrigo n. Albornoz & Cristina Flores Pescoran

lalocaal Gallery Barcelona, Spain

 

From the playful and the interaction we reflect on our social relationships and context, when did we separate? When do we get closer? What are we carrying with us?

Although the pallets are known as wooden platforms that allow the transfer and storage of different inputs, volumes or merchandise, through them we activate questions about migration, our integration, exchange, transfers and consumption.

Faced with a situation of constant change, we need more spaces for interaction, play and warmth. We take what surrounds us to generate new cycles.

 

In times when we need spaces to reflect on how affections are necessary for our development as a society, this proposal is born in which the collective, unexpected and dialogue are present.

When and why did we separate? How do we get closer?

We move, we are constantly traveling, we migrate and we need to reconnect with our memory, ancestors, territory, community.

We are like multiple fibers that embrace each other and in doing we open new cycles.

Memory 1

A few minutes after starting, a young man is invited to intervene in the space created, for which he is given a skein of cloth-thread. Instantly, submerged between threads and turns, it becomes a satellite. He turned and we with him. while there was no fixed destination, there didn't have to be. He moved the colored threads from top to bottom, intertwined them and played with other satellites that accompanied him. That night they all created a new universe, one of exquisite possibilities, of games.

 

Memory 2

A couple with gray hair approaches the installation and it is they themselves who take the lead and add to the shared dynamic. We were all, of different ages, with different life histories sharing our generations.

The looks become complicit and I wonder: What will be the story behind each one, behind each knot, in the making of each line.

 

Memory 3

With the fibers, he built an ephemeral tower in his hands, while he was remembering his childhood game.

 

Memory 4

I approached him and he told me almost like a secret:

"I want to make a figure, a person." The image was already in his mind, and he was dialoguing with his hands so that it would come out, so that it would be revealed. Thus, a person emerged from the knots. What he did was almost like an offering, giving part of himself to everyone. And his person a reflection of each and everyone of us.

 

There are a number of ways that collaborative and participatory work in art can be used to restore social tissue. Collaborative and participatory art projects can be an effective way to give voice to and amplify the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities, helping to bring about greater understanding and connection within society. Collaborative art projects can create opportunities for people from different backgrounds and experiences to come together, engage with each other, and exchange ideas and perspectives. This can help to break down social barriers and build stronger connections between people. Participating in collaborative art projects can help individuals feel connected to a larger community and give them a sense of purpose and meaning. This can be particularly important in times of social isolation or division such as Pandemic. Collaborative and participatory art projects can be used to raise awareness about social issues and inspire individuals to take action on causes they care about. This can help to restore a sense of agency and power within marginalized communities. Art can be a powerful tool for self-expression and personal growth, and collaborative art projects can provide a safe and supportive space for individuals to explore their emotions and work through difficult experiences. This can be an important part of the process of healing and rebuilding social connections.

 

Video Documentation