November 22, 2014 - 15:17
For our end-of-semester 360 event, I'd like to really focus in on Monsoon and Benaifer's methods of close listening and talking, though not necessarily in a typical, vocal way. As I mentioned, Kristin and I discussed the ways in which our portraits of our Camphill partners represent a visual form of close listening. Similarly, I think the self-portraits we're continuing to work on demonstrate a very close listening and tuning into our own faces and current states of being. An optimal event would pull all of these forms of listening together, perhaps offering an audience a variety of listening formats. Keeping in mind Riva's notion of ethical display requiring a subjective narrative along with whatever pieces are displayed, it would be interesting to offer the audience a glimpse of the visual art we created, alongside verbal storytelling we have either recorded or would be performing live.
On the other hand, what really makes Monsoon and Benaifer's method come to life is the use of conversation--not just delivering a story, but having one delivered back, requiring a respectful back and forth. To really utilize storytelling in this event, it would be most effective to either display a conversation between some of the 360 members, or to invite audience members into the conversation with us.
As I'm writing this, I'm remembering an interesting exercise I often did at the beginning of theater classes in high school as a way of getting to know each other. We would come to class with a variety of objects that were significant to us (or represented things that were significant to us), and we each picked a section of the Arts Basement to set up our "stage," of sorts. We would arrange our objects and place our own bodies, either still or moving, in the space, along with some music or sound. We were far enough apart to see no part of the set-up, but would take turns touring around the "exhibit," watching the various "identity moments." This sort of "live gallery," combining our own bodies and other parts of our lives that people see less often, is a really unique way to express identity that I'd love to somehow incorporate.