A trio: Sandra, Joseph and me, and a collective

2019 Performance
High-angle view through an open doorway where two performers dressed in dark clothing sit on the floor on opposite sides of a long arrangement of branches and twigs. A dark line runs through the centre of the arrangement toward a round reflective metal surface in the foreground, where dark residue and small objects are scattered. Daylight enters from the courtyard beyond.
Closer view of two performers seated on the floor beside a dense pile of dry branches and twigs. One sits upright behind the branches while the other leans forward with their hands near the material. A small pale container and other objects lie on the concrete floor around them.
Outdoor view of one performer seated low beside a metal container from which orange flames rise, while another performer stands immediately behind them in dark clothing. Green trees fill the background, and small objects are distributed across the ground around the burning container.
Low outdoor view of two performers sitting closely side by side behind a small metal container with visible orange flames. Their shoulders touch as they lean slightly toward one another, surrounded by trees and scattered objects on the ground.
Long view through an open doorway toward two performers standing face to face outside. Their bodies are framed by the dark interior and the rectangular doorway, with the pale outdoor ground extending behind them.
A crumpled grey garment or piece of fabric lies alone on dry, uneven ground outdoors, its folds gathered around a partially visible yellow edge.
Overhead view of several white sheets of paper placed on bare ground and held down by a small dark stone. Faint handwritten capital letters and marks cover the upper sheet.
Photography: Fenia Kostopulou

We performed a number of collaborative ritual actions, each of us surprised and thrilled by the trust and sensitivity of the others. Memories, desires and impulses bled together, sharing stories of hope and loss. Caring for the others.

"we bleed, we fall, we walk on the balls of our feet, we burn we, memory, flesh, blood, feet, shoulders, queer bodies, burdens, targets, histories, losses, borders, can we fly free?"

Leman

Close view of two performers standing face to face in dark clothing, showing their torsos and hands. Their hands meet between their bodies, with one pair of hands enclosing or holding the other against the dark fabric of their clothing.
Photography: Fenia Kostopulou
Black-and-white view of a nude performer standing near a wall with both arms extended outward. Another performer sits nearby holding a small object in one hand, their head turned toward the standing body. Strong daylight casts sharply defined shadows across the wall and bodies.
Black-and-white close view of a nude performer bending forward with one hand pressed flat against a wall. Their head and shoulders lower toward the surface while another person’s hand reaches toward the upper back from behind.
Black-and-white close view of a performer pressing one hand against the wall while bending their torso forward. Another hand makes contact with the upper back near the shoulder blade, where tattoos are visible.
Black-and-white close view of a performer leaning backward with their head tilted upward and one forearm raised across the forehead. Their eyes are closed and their mouth is slightly open, while another body is partially visible behind them.
Black-and-white close view of two performers facing one another at very close distance. One face is shown in profile and the other frontally; their eyes are directed toward one another while the surrounding space falls out of focus.
Wide black-and-white view of a sparse interior. One nude performer stands against the wall with an arm extended horizontally, while two other performers sit closely together on the floor at the opposite side. Strong daylight and long shadows divide the otherwise empty wall.
Black-and-white view of two performers standing close together. One reaches a hand toward the other’s face and touches near the mouth and chin, while the second performer remains upright with their gaze directed forward.
Photography: Francesca Carol Rolla
Close view of two performers. One sits with their torso uncovered while another performer dressed in black bends toward the chest and works against the skin with a small blue object held between the fingers. The hand and object meet a small area of the chest among existing tattoos and fine marks.
Close view of two standing bodies cropped from shoulder to thigh. One performer is nude and the other wears a long black garment; their arms hang close beside one another and their hands nearly meet between the bodies.
Close detail beside a piano keyboard. A hand extends toward the keys with the index finger lowered near the edge of a white key, while a performer’s bare thigh and faint marks on the skin are visible beside the dark wooden instrument.
Close view of a seated performer’s open hands held together at lap height, containing a cluster of dark granular material or small fragments. A small red object lies out of focus on the pale floor behind them.
Close profile of a performer dressed in black with their head bowed. Their eyes are directed downward beyond the frame and their lips are closed, while the neck curves forward with the lowered head.
Close detail of a bare upper arm and shoulder with a thin needle inserted into the skin. A short length of pale thread or filament extends from the needle, surrounded by existing tattoos and small coloured marks.
Close view of a bare torso marked with existing tattoos, small coloured marks and a thin needle inserted near the side of the chest. The body is cropped from shoulder to waist, with the face outside the frame.
Photography: Lorenza Cini
Wide interior view with several performers distributed across the space. A shirtless performer stands near the centre facing forward, while another bare-backed performer moves across the foreground with both arms extended. Additional figures stand near the walls and staircase behind them.
Close view of two performers facing one another. The shirtless performer reaches one hand to the face of the performer dressed in black, touching around the cheek and mouth, while the other performer raises an arm and looks directly back at them.
Close detail of several hands and forearms converging between bodies. One hand closes around another performer’s wrist while other hands grasp or hold the joined forearms from different directions. Fingers, wrists and forearms overlap in a dense configuration of touch.
Rear close view of a shirtless performer with tattoos across their shoulders and upper back while several other hands hold their forearms and wrists. Another performer stands immediately in front of them, partially obscured by the joined arms.
Close view of a performer leaning their head and upper torso backward, face turned upward and eyes closed. Their neck extends and mouth is slightly open as their body makes close contact with another person standing directly behind them. An arm from the person behind crosses their upper body, while other figures remain blurred around them.
Several performers gather tightly around a person positioned lower at the centre, bending their torsos and lowering their heads inward from different directions. Bare backs, shoulders, heads and arms overlap; hands make contact with shoulders and bodies, while some faces disappear against or behind other bodies. The individual figures become increasingly difficult to separate within the cluster.
Wide view of a large group of performers gathered into a dense bodily cluster. Some stand while others bend, crouch or lean at different heights. Arms wrap around shoulders, backs, torsos and waists; heads rest close to or against other bodies; and several figures lean their weight inward toward the centre. Individual limbs and bodies overlap until the boundaries between some figures become difficult to distinguish.
Photography: Lorenza Cini
Presentations
Dis-Sensus, Venice International Performance Art Week, C32 Performing Arts Work Space, Venice, IT, June 2019
Credits
A trio: Sandra, Joseph and me, and a collective, by Leman Sevda Darıcıoğlu, Sandra Stonionyte and Joseph Morgan Schofield, performance, 2019
Under the tutorship of VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi
Supported by the Faruk Sade Grant by Siyah Beyaz Gallery, Ankara
Performance Friendship / Kinship / Bonds Intimacy Body Intervention Ritual Collaboration
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