SHARON  VALEVSKI

Tashlich (From Hebrew: "Casting Off”)
Live performance, 2022
A multi-participant performative display for people & their unneeded objects.

Twenty performers walk in procession while carrying functional objects in what appears to be a sort of parade; in the background, soft march music is played by four musicians. Following a short walk, the performers arrive at a public square adjacent to a large shopping center, and begin carrying out a series of actions, which include: Separation from the object; staying and staring at the object; rest with and without the object. In the next stage, the performers heap the object into an ever-growing pile, while making sure it appears aesthetic, neat and orderly. After staring at the pile for a long time, the performers lay down their bodies in various positions, attempting to practice rest and to simply be. Eventually, the objects are slowly wrapped in wrapping paper, and the performers heap them into a new pile. Next to the pile they place the sign “Holiday Presents.” Passersby are invited to select a new-old present for themselves from the pile. 

In a fast-paced world, the option to slow down emerges. This work suggests a different pace at which the urban daily experience of life can be lived, posing an alternative to the very principles of our modern life: Time, consumerism and ownership. This piece is inspired by the ideas of the Slow Movement (a cultural, artistic and lifestyle movement that emerged in the late 1980s and advocates for a slower pace of life):

“Connections are indeed the living and breathing spirit behind the movement. Slow wishes to create better connections between mankind and food, work, family, health, community and leisure. Its essence is rooted in a holistic view of the relations between man, his/her peers and the world, and in the understanding that in this triadic relationship, not a single part of the equation can be overlooked.”*

*Applicant’s translation from Hebrew into English from author Amit Neufeld’s
History of Speed: The Slow Movement.
 

Location: A public square at the entrance to the TLV Fashion Mall, Tel Aviv
 

Duration: 2.5 hours

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