Retreat (2023)


performance
240’
collaborator: Marko Obradović
curator: Barbora Ilić
Pyramid Scheme Exhibition
location: Cejla Gallery
Brno, Czech Republic


"Retreat" is a 240-minute performance inside a small, smoke-filled glass box,
depicting the need for clarity in a sea of misinformation.

"Retreat" took place in a gallery window. Paradoxically, this noticeable location managed to escape the audience's immediate notice. The piece displays how visibility can be manipulated, either by drawing attention to certain narratives or by obscuring others. The performance draws a parallel with fog: a symbol representing confusion, enigma and uncertainty. It also embodies the essence of 'brain fog,' a term that captures the psychological labyrinth characterized by cognitive turbulence and ambiguity.

In the box, a meditative ritual takes place, a visual manifestation of inhaling air and exhaling stress and negativity in the form of thick smoke. This act otherwise symbolizes the release of burdens and obstacles and the discovery of a clearer path towards our desires and aspirations. In this case, the artist "exhales" the smoke and remains enveloped in a thick fog, remaining in confusion instead of finding clarity.






Documented by Vasso Vu