Project Description

Hung is the name of the performance I made for Culture Night at Milford House, Tipperary for Live Art Ireland Friday 22nd September 2023.

Here is the description of the work:

Title: Hung

Duration: 20-30 mins

Description: A huge washing line hangs across an open space. The artist, dressed in black evening wear, enters the space carrying a big tub of white washing. They start pegging it onto the line. After a few minutes they begin talking, a non-stop stream of words. The clothes on the line have messages written on them relating to the artist’s dialogue. The artist ducks and weaves in and out of clothes on the line as she talks, interacting with them. The performance finishes when all the clothes have been hung up. Concept The washing line message/s are a manifestation of the inner dialogue we all have, accompanying us as we go about our daily tasks. The artist outfit and the washing line are a visual spectacle, but they also evoke a task- something that must be done, a job to get ticked off the list. As a parent caregiver I do a lot of laundry, which I detest but sometimes find myself taking reluctant comfort in. On days when some jobs on the list seem impossible, doing the laundry is a manageable task. Doing the doable and avoiding the seemingly insurmountable is a human trait. Please note a submission was proposed for a similar performance for Livestock Live, Dublin. The submission was successful, but I was ultimately unable to attend the event. I have been seeking the right space to develop this performance idea further since.

See a link to a blog about the night here

Gallery of photographs of the performance. All photos courtesy of Beka Devins: