23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022) participant Mike Parr pushes the limits of his body in the creation of artworks. His diverse practice spans drawing, printmaking, sculpture and performance. Sometimes his performances can last for days, upon days, upon days!
Mike Parr thinks of his body and his performances as political actions. You may know of the School Strike for Climate rallies that students across the world take part in. This is a form of activism: a political action to encourage people to take note of what’s happening to our planet. Like School Strike for Climate, Mike Parr responds to global issues by putting his own body through challenging experiences.
Performance Exercise
Think of a global issue that you care strongly about.
Ask yourself: How do I feel when I think about this issue? How can I use my body to communicate my feelings about this issue? How can I combine sound and movement to create a performance about this issue?
Create a performance using your body, sound and movement to express your feelings about your issue
Share your performance with yourself in front of a mirror, see how your body moves and how these actions make you feel. Share your performance with your friends or family in person or via Zoom.
Ask your family to share how they felt to watch your performance. It’s important to remember that people experience performances differently. It will be interesting to compare what your audiences take away from your artwork compared to others.
Share your performance with our Programs and Learning team programs@biennaleofsydney.com.au or on Instagram @biennalesydney.