Burning Head

Description:

Burning Head was an action-based performance that was created in response to the question: “Is there still ritual in our occidental contemporary society?” 

In thinking about ritual, Julie Andrée T. tried to reach a place where one sheds their personal identity to find a common abstract language to understand what we do and who we are.

To begin, audience members were invited to lay on a large piece of paper and have their silhouette traced by the artist, which was later incorporated into the performance. Domestic items such as flour and vinegar were used in ways to evoke tension, subtly connecting to larger concerns of abuse, violence, and globalization. The actions were visually jarring, such as covering herself in paint, along with physically demanding feats like performing handstands, chugging bottles of Coca-Cola, and hurling herself to the ground.

This work was a part of the Contemporary Ritual Series curated by Victoria Singh. 

Video documentation available upon request.