In Nature Morte Hoicka transformed a “traditional” European still life tableau into a visceral, textured, and surreal performance.
The performance began by serving orange slices for the audience’s consumption.
Everyday domestic subjects such as fruit were made to move in subtle and uncomfortable ways using hidden electronics that she constructed. Oranges, grapes and eggplants were ripped apart sometimes revealing unexpected surprises with the whole scene becoming a juicy, funny, colourful and sometimes confusing mess.
Historically, illusions created by master painters were so strong that they were more real or surreal than real life, making us want to touch everything in the painting that we’re not supposed to touch. By taking the ultimate in controlled art and freely losing control of it in front of my audience, she enables viewers to experience what they have secretly been wishing to — and more.
Nature Morte was Performed for Le Labo (2012) and was redeveloped for the 7a*11d International Performance Art Festival (2014). Special thank you to InterAccess and Mitchell Chan for helping to develop the work.