Upon my arrival at the Créac’h Semaphore, I had been tangled up for over a year in the editing of a documentary film supposed to address the resurgence of the labyrinth in the contemporary world. Although unfinished, the project was already scheduled to be part of a collective exhibition in ‘Resonance’ at the Lyon Biennale. But with only a month to go before the opening, none of the footage seemed to fit into the edit, and it was with this stone in my shoe that I settled on the island of Ouessant. I had a month to save the project. In my bag, a hard drive filled with inextricable rushes, my computer, and a few pocket books, including Thésée, the final story by André Gide. Under the beneficial influence of the semaphore, made lucid by the lighthouse’s light, I finally abandoned this elusive project to focus on what mattered: the labyrinth as vertigo.
The solution to my problems was right there, hidden on the island, within this strange equation: five Ouessant paths, a blue sweater, and a yellow stick. I then made Geranos, a video-performance, for which here is the exhibition text: Having emerged from the Labyrinth, Theseus and his companions began a celebratory dance to mark their victory over the Minotaur. This frenzied circle, called Geranos, mimicked the winding path of the labyrinth, the convolutions it took to reach the monster. It is a one-footed choreography, plunging Theseus into a state of dizziness mixed with the intoxication of alcohol. My performance consisted of producing a personal version of this ancient dance, disorienting the labyrinth of my inner ear. While, through a simple editing effect, the exact way I inflict this series of vertigos remains off-screen, a strange yellow stick lingers on the screen, a lost sign in the space, and the only clue to my performative protocol. In a constant state of imbalance, I begin a walk with a random choreography. Disconnected from the pilgrim, the stick becomes an obstacle in the shape of a minimal sculpture, where man and object form a curious duo, each playing its part
Geranos
2013 / HD / Vidéo-performance / Projection installée /10 minutes / Couleur & son
Production : Finis Terrae
