- 7 Apr 2023 4 pm UTC
- dur 30 min
I use paper shopping bags and 13 generic bottles that typically contain maple syrup. The labels are removed, making the objects more generic yet ambiguous. During the performance, I create shapes with my body and the objects, manipulate them both and use the bottles to support parts of my body. I incorporate balance with the bags and bottles, and the bag eventually goes over my head, while I rest the bottles in a line from my chin to my waist. The performance ends when I collect the bottles and return them to the paper bag. The themes that this work deals with are mass production, and utilitarianism while alluding to the current anxiety around commodities, particularly groceries and food. Using the bag over my head winks at notions of anxiety and shame.
Laura Paolini (she/her) currently lives in Ottawa, unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory. Her artwork is primarily conceptual and manifests through installations, videos, and performances, often unfolding where these forms meet, merge and collapse. She has exhibited in various Canadian institutions including Hamilton Artists Inc, The Ottawa Art Gallery, and Art Mûr during the 17th edition of Fresh Paint/New Construction (2021). She recently performed during PERF; a performance art Biennale hosted by AXENÉO7 (evening curated by Anna Khimasia and Thomas Grondin). Paolini earned an MFA from the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Ottawa (2021). In addition to previously published writing, she is currently a member of the editorial committee for Peripheral Review, an independent platform for critical and experimental art writing in Canada. Her video works are distributed through Vtape (Toronto). ARTIST’S WEBSITE