Regret: The Collaborators that made it all possible
This tremendous world I have inside of me. How to free myself, and this world, without tearing myself to pieces. And rather tear myself to a thousand pieces than be buried with this world within me.” - Franz Kafka, Diaries of Franz Kafka
How to free myself, and this world(?) - It can only be done through the addition of others. It takes a village, it takes trust. For Regret, my upcoming 28 day durational performance, I have engaged with a dream team of artistic collaborators to make this ambitious work possible.
I’d like to acknowledge them and introduce them to you now…
Nadia Travaglini - Studio Botanic
Nadia and I share a deep affinity for art and flowers. In the context of this project, she expressed how in her daily life, she watches the death in this material; The delicacy of the process, its own exquisite beauty. For ‘Regret’ we will use seasonal varieties of flowers and form the installation of flowers as a monumental, decomposing sculpture.
Our creative relationship has built up to this point since we began collaborating on conceptual photographic works in 2015. Often using particular varieties to explore symbolic narratives, Nadia approaches her work in the floral industry from a personal artistic perspective, as opposed to a general floristry context. On her process: “My first step is to look at space, and light. Where we can fill and what areas need to remain negative, while responding to the light and how that affects the colours and specific atmospheric mood. From here I determine flower varieties for not only colour, but softness and texture, light, shade and perfume. My approach to floral design is one of freedom, I look to soften, and expand narratives.” Nadia’s process believes in taking people on a journey with flowers. Nadia has over 13 years’ experience in floral events at a national level, working on major events such as the Adelaide Fashion Festival and the Platinum Dinner at The Art Gallery of South Australia. See her work here.
Steve Soeffky - SOEFFKY
Steve is an Adelaide-based, Jam Factory alumnus, Furniture Designer. I have commissioned a custom chair from him to accommodate the physical endurance requirements of this work. Throughout the 28 day performance, I will be seated in the chair for upwards of 168 hours in total. Steve’s practise is concerned with using sustainable materials sourced locally and it is the main influence on his design ideology. In his studio, timber that holds a story through its veins, age and tone hold court above all. With all these elements in mind, we have co-designed the chair for use not only in this performance, but in the future as well. See his work here.
Louise Swann
Louise is an accomplished milliner and costume designer, launching Louise Swann Millinery in 2016. Her work has been sought after by Adelaide Fashion week and designers for runway shows, most notably Tilleigh, Millinery Association of Australia and TAFE SA. Louise applies her extensive background in engineering to her pieces. With this approach, each work is of sculptural and formal elegance paired with experimentation and manipulation of unconventional fabrics and materials. The costume Louise has made for me will be worn daily, and built upon throughout the performance. It will endure 1000 individual cast plaster pieces, participatory objects that will adorn the cape. Using her engineering background, the costume is sculpturally designed to carry up to 30kg of weight. See her work here.
Joseph James Francis
Joseph is the tech and sound designer of this work. The sound that fills the gallery will be my heart beat, its slight undulations communicating to the space my interior rhythm and state of being in every moment. Artistically collaborating since 2014, Joseph has widely assisted throughout my practise. This has included Studio Assistant for the creation of sculptural and photographic works and Technical Producer for my first international solo exhibition ‘We Would Sit Together/ Departed Dialogues’ (2019) held at Æther art space in Sofia, Bulgaria. Joseph and I artistically collaborate on sound works including ‘Transition’ from the body of work ‘Separation-Transition- Incorporation’ (2018) and the soundscape accompanying the installation ‘Departed Dialogues’ (2019). Joseph will also attend the Dreamfarm Eco Arts Residency to facilitate the preparation methods I will undertake over 5 days just prior to the performance.
Sharmonie Cockayne - Photographer, Stylist, Content Creator
Sharmonie approaches her practise at the intersection of art, life and style. It is here that I felt an affinity and understanding of aesthetics. Commissioned to create a body of images for Regret - images to show a performance that has not yet been performed, is quite a task. One that was taken on with energy, deep symbolic thought, set design and collaborative spirit at every turn. Aligned in emotional integrity of this work, the concept was captured in a poetic interpretation that has set the stage for the work to commence in June. See her work here.
Caitlin Eyre, Writer
Caitlin and I met when we were little ones, exchanging stories and creative impulses. Reconnecting later on in life as artist and curator respectively, it was the most lovely experience to ask her to write the catalogue essay for Regret. I’ll let her words do the talking with an excerpt for you…
“The intimate and reverent space that Ida has constructed for Regret is laden with a deeply symbolic visual language that supports the intention of her work and creates a charismatic space within which she can commit herself fully to the emotional and physical labour required. The resounding silence of the space is broken only by the projected rhythmic sound of Ida’s own heartbeat — a poignant reminder that the space we inhabit is simultaneously living and dying, and that as mortals we are granted only a certain number of heartbeats in our lifetime. The flowers are helped to their deaths through the provision of salted water (rather than fresh) to suggest both the tears of grief and the cleansing, cathartic power of release that crying offers in times of turmoil. Sitting in solitude gazing at the deteriorating flowers, Ida is attired in a blue silk cape and red long-sleeved undergarments that loosely reference depictions of the Virgin Mary in Christian iconography, though the artist has subverted this symbolism for her own means. This visual reference pays tribute to her father’s intense religious beliefs and the profoundly beautiful moments of spiritual ecstasy and emotion that he experienced through his Christian faith. Undertaking rituals and invoking iconography associated with Christian spiritual beliefs and practices are moments where Ida feels her father’s presence most, meeting him in the acts and spaces where he felt his own spirituality most intensely. “
Farrin Foster, writer
Live performances, are, simply that: live. So, the question of documentary evidence arises - how to do this, how to capture the liveness. I have commissioned Farrin to do what she does best: observe and write. Over the course of the 28 day long work, Farrin will visit and participate, observing the work progress, deteriorate and grow. She will pen this down and the resulting words will serve as a first person record of the atmosphere, experience and context that this work has been made in.
At the Finissage, Farrin and I will have a very informal talk about our experiences of being both inside and outside of the work. Finissage: June 29, 6pm. Floating Goose Studios Adelaide.
Check out this article Farrin wrote: The power of performance: How Adelaide’s experimental art scene is being reignited and see more of her work here.
Thomas McCammon, Performance Photographer
To view the work of Thomas, is to be as close to the re-viewing of the performance as one can possibly get. Thomas and I began working together in 2020, co-creating the artefacts and documents of my live performances. Images that are created with the intention of being artworks in theor own rihgt, they live alongside the original ephemerality of the performance and represent its atmosphere, conceptual notions and emotional quality. Check out Teneral, 2020 to see what I mean.
Thomas will be photographing Regret every day of the performance, living and experiencing it intimately alongside me. You can find Thomas here and at Person Books.
And…
I’d like to further acknowledge Tyrone Ormsby (Graphic Design), the Volunteers who will invigilate this work over its 170+ hours, Floating Goose Studios and all its members, Arts South Australia and The Independent Arts Foundation for its generous grant funding, Dreamfarm Art Residency for providing a nature-rich location for me to prepare, Ray Harris, Joseph Morgan Schofield, Monte Masi and World Of CO for writing support letters and my mum for being the Volunteer Co-ordinator.
I acknowledge that this work will be made on the traditional land of the Kaurna people, I acknowledge its elders past, present and emerging. This land has never been ceded. Always was and always will be Kaurna land.
