https://youtu.be/AaToG2dQ_zc?si=xLoe3VGqajn55nzi

"As a professional sculptor, I strive to have complete control over the material, process, and outcome of my work. I perform a kind of totalitarian act over the raw material, bending it to my will.

This time, I'll try to loosen my grip on control. By involving a wide range of stakeholders in the creative process, I'm performing a symbolic transfer of power, delegating to everyone the right to influence the final result. For me, this is a dangerous experiment, because the outcome is not guaranteed. At any moment, everything could go wrong and the project could fail. But that's precisely the great value of this experience for me.

Description of the action: A group of sculptors plays music around a mold filled with freshly cast plaster. A dancer is positioned in the mold, moving to the rhythm of the music. The musicians improvise. The dancer responds to changes in the theme. The plaster hardens over time, affecting the dancer's movements. The sculptor-musicians, for their part, respond to this change. Eventually, the plaster hardens, leaving an imprint of the dance.

This sculptural object is a symbolic artifact of the transit of the creative impulse. A message from the subject of the action to the object, through a mediator. A transfer and delegation of my, as sculptor and creator, control over the idea and material to a wider circle of participants. A relaxation of control over the result, but a relishing of the creative process.

A brief explanation from the competition organizing committee

As part of our competition, the artist created a performance that took place on October 26, 2024, during the artists' presentation of their works. The performance lasted approximately 30 minutes, with audience participation prior to the performance. Properly instructed workers (essentially two artists and a painter) casually (even a little unceremoniously) moved plaster and poured it into a circular formwork, where an improvised dance performance took place. The entire performance was located in the center of the exhibition space. Despite five cameras in use, it became clear after the fact which angles were missing, and the feeling and vibration were indescribable. But there is something there, and that's the problem with performances—the performance took place, and we present to you only three videos about it (the first two are required viewing, the third is optional, as we need it for the exhibition installation).