INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE ART

Words by Jamie Garcia

I wanted to provide an interactive element to the gallery experience for visitors examine themselves and their perceptions (conscious or subconscious) through live action. I decided to literally become a potted plant. In a nude suit, I stood in a plant pot buried in soil up to my knees. Next to me were two bottles of water and a wired lamp plugged for visitors who wanted to use them. My reactions (grow, wither, extend, retract, be still, etc.) would be improvised depending on what they chose to do with the items.

I wanted to confront the audience with the confusing sight of a woman in a pot. Why is she there, and is she supposed to be a plant, a woman, a plant woman, a flower? What does this presence bring to the room? Will she talk to me? If she doesn’t, what does that mean? Can she talk or does she choose not to? I played with the common decision of placing a potted plant in a room — a living thing that requires attention and care. Why do people add plants or flowers in a room? To brighten or liven up a space? Bring life and color? What does it do for you? What do you do for it? Is she considered an “it”?

There was a wide range of interactions. One woman who I learned later actually handles and sells plants and pottery, manipulated the soil and talked directly to me. She was the only one who spoke to me. She said something similar to…I heard talking to plants helps them grow. One woman I danced with in the past decided to gently dance with me. She engaged in physical contact with subtle guidance using her two hands. She gingerly caressed my face and neck area, turning my head towards the light. She grazed my shoulders, tracing her fingers down my arm to my hands, and led me to do smooth, wavelike motions and minimal circular moves. She eventually brought herself closer to me and I enjoyed a warm embrace for a brief moment. That was one of my favorite interactions. Some took the lamp and moved the light source around, then while watching movements, changed their direction, range, and speed. They played with proximity, how I reacted when the lamp was close to my face and my entire body bathed in the light…how my limbs and my finger joints lost energy as the light source drifted farther from my grounded position. Surprisingly, no one moved me, probably because they were afraid I might tip over. But people simply chose to stand back and watch, or take part in one distinct action.

A particular choice guests had to make was what to do with the water. What they chose determined whether they identified me as a plant or a human. Most (both men and women) chose to pour the water around my legs and into the soil. Only one person, a woman, chose to carefully pour water into my mouth. I watched carefully to see who decided to nourish me, deprive me, play with me, experiment with me. The audience ratio was heavy on Asian women and a smaller percentage of men with diverse cultural backgrounds. Mainly, it was the Asian women who provided me with sustenance. One white male watered me. One Asian male danced with me.

After seeing the footage and reading the comments post-performance, I felt like the audience had a good general understanding of the concepts I wanted to explore. Some were still perplexed, which was completely normal and unavoidable. The most I can ask is for visitors to be open to witnessing and engaging, and hopefully you’ll learn more about yourself. And that’s exactly what happened.