I am not Tino Sehgal – I am a cat

   




















   I am not Tino Sehgal - I am a cat
   2016
   Nahmad Projects, London
   Part of a series of 30 performances
   titled I am NOT Tino Sehgal
   -
   I am a cat
   2017, PERFO! Tampere
    
   The performance is a durational piece in
   which a slow-motion choreography is
   presented along with feline improvisation.
   The choreography is based on
   representation whereas the improvisation
   focuses on internal experience of catness
   and shiftingaway from human awareness.
   
   Referencing Tino Seghal's piece Kiss that
   is a collection of amorous scenes from
   history of art, I am not Tino Seghal - I
   am a cat draws from art history representing
   cats. Expanding on social life of humans,
   the performance explores humans embodying
   animal life. Improvisation of feline kind
   asks what is the potential of inhabiting
   non-human movement vocabulary. The refences
   include for example the Egyptian Gayer-
   Anderson Cat, Renoir's Girl and Cat (1880-81)
   and Rachman's By day she made herself into a
   cat (1920).

   Familiar body language from the feline world is
   placed onto the human body, asking questions of
   the relationship of the two species. What are the
   social conventions around animal representation?
   Are we more prepared to see a cat painting instead
   of a cat performance? How do we relate to each other
   through behaviour that is not human?

    cats on day 1
    Maya Goldstein, Paul Hughes, Tuuli Malla, Natalie Wong

    cats on day 2
    Lauri Jäntti, Tuuli Malla, Marcel Proske, Tereza Silon

    photos: Benedict Johnson
    print: Felix Valloton: La Paresse