Friction (2023) '90 min
Nudity connects art and audience
On Friday 13 October 2023, the Kunsthal Rotterdam opened the exhibition ‘Fancy Some Friction, Honey?‘, which celebrates 33 years of the Cokkie Snoei gallery. The exhibition shows the work of 33 artists chosen by Cokkie. One of them is Julia Kiryanova, who gave a special performance.
The performance ‘Friction’
Julia Kiryanova concept was a unique and provocative experience that used nudity as a means of generating communication, emotion, and friction between the performers and the audience. The performance featured eight naked performers: Philemon Mukarno, Antti Uimonen, Diana Mare, Lois de Bondt, Mar Esteban Martin, Noemi Calzavara, Ryan O’Shea, and Issy Baylis. They were body-painted in white, and one performer in red. The performers moved among the audience for 90 minutes, sometimes solo and sometimes in groups, creating a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. The performance was an experimental and daring way of creating and experiencing art, challenging cultural, social, and personal norms.
Unique
It was a unique and daring experience that challenged the audience’s perceptions of nudity and its cultural, social, and personal implications. The performance showed that nudity is more than just a physical state, but also a cultural, social, and personal phenomenon. The use of nudity in performance art can be a powerful tool for artists to explore vulnerability, identity, and the relationship between the artist and the audience. The performance ‘Friction’ was a daring example of this type of art. The performance lasted one and a half hours.
Naked
Nudity is a powerful means of creating and experiencing art. It creates a contrast between the surroundings and the spectators. It also evokes emotions and associations. Julia Kiryanova wanted to explore how people react to nudity in a public space with her performance. She also wanted to show that nudity is more than a physical state. It is also a cultural, social, and personal phenomenon.
Body paint
The body paint that the performers wore had a visual and symbolic effect. The white body paint referred to the paper on which many works of art in the exhibition were made. It also suggested purity, innocence, and anonymity. The red body paint, which was only worn by one performer, represented the blood flowing through the veins. It also symbolizes passion, love, and life.
Interaction with the audience
The performers moved freely among the audience, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups. They made eye contact, touched each other, or invited the audience to join in. The audience’s reactions were diverse: some were curious, some shy, others serious. Some continued to watch from a distance, others dared to come closer or even touch them. This created an exciting and dynamic atmosphere in the Kunsthal, challenging the audience to explore their own boundaries and comfort zones.
A unique experience
Julia Kiryanova’s performance ‘Friction’ was a unique experience for both the performers and the audience. It was an experimental and provocative way to make and experience art, using nudity as a means to generate communication, emotion, and friction.
Antti Uimonen with the artwork of Tracey Snelling
Backstage Kunsthal
