“Summertime” explored how constructed illusions influence perceptions of reality and time. This concept is heavily influenced by my upbringing in tourist culture and being surrounded by uncanny, fabricated spaces. The goal of those places is for viewers to experience maximum levels of pleasure and excitement by activating the senses.

The performance starred three aluminum-cast ice cream cones nailed to a wall in an entirely pink room. I started by generously scooping abundant amounts of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mint ice cream into each cone. After that, the real show began, as drips of ice cream slid down the polished waffle cones, drizzling down the wall and pooling onto the artificial marble tiles. Entire scoops plummeted to the floor as the ice cream continued to melt, creating a “splash zone” for the viewers in front. Every hour of the evening, I would refill the casts with more ice cream to assist their performance. The entire room smelled exactly like an ice cream parlour, releasing a nostalgic and decadent aroma with every drop. By the end of the night, the floor was covered with beautifully swirled and blended puddles of white, brown, pink, and green.

“Summertime” symbolizes the illusion of fantasy and challenges the perception of time in that nothing lasts forever. Viewers quickly become tourists, mesmerized by the ice cream cones performing. After the show is over, the only remains are what melted onto the floor.