I, object (2015)

I, object emerged during a particularly frustrating period of article writing, as I grappled with the slipperiness of words and their implications.

Linguistically speaking, an object is something that is thrown (-ject) in front (ob-) of something; it is inherently relational, opposed to a subject. It is a generic term that obscures unique or identifying characteristics. It implies distance—whether physical, or emotional (hence the concept of “being objective“). In this work the actual word ‘object’ becomes the object of study; however, inevitably, it is the performer who is drawn into the confused subject/object dialectic created in performance.

“a sophisticated aesthetic at work”—Nicholas Minns, Writing about dance

Photos by Elise Nuding and Joseph Twigg.

 

I, object is created and performed by Elise Nuding.

It was created in January 2015 during a residency at Lake Studios Berlin and was shown as a work-in-progress there. It was also presented as part of Cloud Dance Friends in London, in November 2015.