Titled after a lake in the beautiful Masury region in Poland, “Narie” is a performative response to a visual work of art. On an island called Brzozowa Wyspa, I created a painting on 10 meters of canvas. From there, a group of dancers and I physically explored (using feet, hands and bodies) every centimeter of the artwork. We gathered on the canvas together as a group while exploring our own independent relationship with the artwork. Inspired by the lake that surrounded us and accompanied by soft rhythmic music, we moved slowly in meditative response to the shape and colors of the artwork.

My main purpose was to experience how affecting it is to explore a painting through other senses than the eyes. Through the use of movement and touch I believe a new kind of viewing emerges. Through immersion in the work of art with the whole body there opened a new field of connecting to the creative process of the artist. I believe the performance would be deprived of its emotional depth in a gallery setting.

I experiment with novel strategies of participation in the creation and contemplation of art making. I never repeat the same structure of performance although it is often based on my own painting technique. I often adapt to specific situations, as at the lake Narie, where I hadn’t planned a performance but rather allowed it to spontaneously occur.