For better or worse, conflict drives and defines the human experience.
In her latest performance work, acclaimed writer and performer Nicola Gunn explores the transformative power of conflict to create positive change in human behaviour. Nicola presents her multidimensional story of a man, a woman and a duck as part of World Theatre Festival 2016 at Brisbane Powerhouse, asking the question: are you willing to take part in conflict in order to transform and change the future for the better?
What motivated you to create ‘Piece For Person And Ghetto Blaster’?
I was interested in this thing that happened to me, where I intervened in what I saw as an unnecessary act of violence. I was particularly interested in how I reacted in the situation, how my actions escalated the violence, and the fact that I found the confrontation – in a way – pleasurable.
This show is a continuation of your work in exploring the relationship between being and doing; what is your personal interest in this area?
If I say, I am a good person, do I do good things? Not always, no. So I’m fascinated by the complexities of human behaviour. And often, how our identity is so wrapped up in what we do. If I say I am an artist, I define myself as a person who makes art. And what if I no longer made art, who would I be then? I often think about this, as when I’m not feeling useful, feeling purposeful, I often get very depressed. So I only feel like myself, when I’m doing things that shape my identity and this is I suppose where the talking and dancing practice comes from that choreographer Jo Lloyd and I have been developing and that you will see in this work.
{youtube}ET_UtktaTCs{/youtube}
After premiering in late 2015, how has ‘Piece For Person And Ghetto Blaster’ been received by audiences so far?
It’s creating conversation. It’s getting people thinking and talking about ethics, morality, violence in a more universal context than just in relation to the man, the woman and the duck, which is the work’s intention.
Can you describe the visual aspect of the show?
The space is shaped like a ghetto blaster, in that it is panoramic. I’m purposefully using black and white, and a grey floor that encompasses most of the playing space. The grey is important; it suggests uncertainty and the uncomfortable nature of not having clear cut solutions to complex dilemmas. The ghetto blaster I use is the largest ghetto blaster ever made: it’s been called the ‘holy grail’ of ghetto blasters. It’s a 1985 Sharp GF-777. The projection in the second half of the show is an abstracted image of the canal where the story takes place, so you have the water and the bank and these are clearly delineated with block colours. In the work, I talk a lot about ‘crossing the line’ so the visual design is very suggestive of this. The final sequence is a surprise.
Will there be any audience participation involved?
The audience is always involved in some way just by being present, but no one is asked to ‘act’ or be on stage or talk.
For you, what is the overall message you’re trying to send with this performance?
I don’t know about overall message, but I’m suggesting an empathetic understanding of why we do the things we do. And within that, I’m also calling into question the ethics of art, as another form of 'intervention'.
Are you looking forward to presenting this work as part of WTF 2016?
It’s great being part of an international festival because you get the opportunity to meet other artists and be exposed to new works, interesting formal investigations and big ideas, so the answer is yes!
Do you believe conflict is an essential part of the human experience?
Yes, but war and violence is not.
How has conflict defined the person you are today?
Having never lived in a city affected by war, I can only talk about conflict in relation to interpersonal disagreements. I have a lot of those. They can be healthy in that they challenge you to question your convictions and belief systems. I’ve learnt a lot about myself through conflict and over time have developed rational strategies to resolve conflict situations, but I’m not a person who avoids confronting conflict.
Do you have any other projects in development at the moment?
I’ve been commissioned by the MTC to create a new work that will potentially premiere in 2017 and I’m also developing a duet with Jo Lloyd (choreographer on 'Ghetto Blaster'). I have a site-specific work being presented by Field Theory as part of their Site is Set festival in Melbourne later this year, and I’m presenting a work-in-development of an installation for both children and adults as part of FOLA in March with Nat Cursio. I’m also developing a number of international collaborations that will hopefully mean spending more time in the US and Europe over the next couple years.
If you could see just one positive change occur in the world from the result of conflict, what would it be?
This is such a difficult question and I don’t know if I’m educated enough to answer it. War is just not a useful way to go about bringing positive change. Having said that, remarkably, the stand-off between North Korea and South Korea has meant that there is a stretch of land dividing the two called the Demilitarised Zone that has been relatively untouched by humans for decades. With North and South Korea being so densely populated, the DMZ is an absolutely unpopulated wilderness and I read that a rare crane is thriving there, a species that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Korea.
‘Piece For Person And Ghetto Blaster’ plays Brisbane Powerhouse 25-27 February as part of WTF which runs 18-27 February.
