STATIC APNEA (2020) : A PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION
CONCEIVED & DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER MCELROEN
TEXT BY Christopher Mcelroen & julia watt
September 12 - October 17, 2020
the american vicarious & The Invisible Dog | NYC
Directed by Christopher McElroen
Text by Christopher McElroen & Julia Watt
Installation Design by Troy Hourie, Lighting by Zach Weeks, Sound by Andy Cohen
Performed by Isabella Pinheiro & Jenny Tibbels
The discipline of holding one’s breath underwater, motionless–static apnea. In 2020, breath has been taken away. By a virus. By a knee. By the uncertainty. The struggle to restore it has rendered us motionless, collectively holding our breath. Do you know how long you can hold your breath? Would it be long enough to save yourself? Would it be long enough to save someone you love?
One audience member, surrounded by a tunnel of blue light, descends towards a single performer behind a wall of glass. In a 9 minute and 2 second performance–the female record for static apnea–this performative installation explores how far one might be willing to go to save a life.
Highbrow | Brilliant
- New York Magazine, The Approval Matrix | Vulture
“Fascinating to behold… You navigate through a narrow, winding path with mirrors on each side until a walkway appears ... The walls to your left and right glow a rich cobalt ... and, later, other piercing shades, that give the unnerving sense of being surrounded — trapped, even... Static Apnea had me holding my breath”
- The New York Times, Critic Pick