moving portraits: a series about how the online and offline interact and collide
Living memory, as told through live performances.
Live performance is a dialogue. It is a magical, unspoken conversation that connects the performer with each member of that audience. It is the connection that stays with you in physical space, forged through the visual, auditory, and tactile sensory input that is only possible by experiencing the performance/demonstration in a real, live setting. The relevance of live performance is to build that connection between observer and art, but also to initiate the live dialogue that occurs after. There is something special at the conclusion of a performance when you have a chance to react, process what you have seen, and reflect with those around you about what you have just experienced. Those conversations often cement the value and significance of the performance; and that reflection transforms a live performance into an experience and a memory that is enriching, immersive, and above all, timeless.
Technology has an important place in preserving the magic of performances. Innovations such as asynchronous streaming and high-fidelity video encoding have made important contributions to preserving performances that would otherwise be lost to time, and also increasing accessibility of performances to those without the privilege or opportunity to see for themselves. Technology is a valuable knowledge-building and knowledge-sharing platform for performance, but it is not a substitute for the experience by itself. Recordings of live performances are akin to appetizers: they pique initial cultural and artistic interest, but are no replacement for the main course. They also play a role in introducing individuals to a diversity of styles and tastes in a low-cost, low-commitment manner.
Live performances, push you out of your comfort zone and force you to engage, intimately and directly. Live performance is probably one of the most intimate things you can do in a crowd of strangers. Some of the most beautiful live performances I have ever witnessed are largely decoupled from my own interests and talents, but they have been nevertheless enriching and have stayed with me ever since. Performances have shaped my life in important and intangible ways: the single most beautiful performance I have ever seen was Swan Lake at the MET Opera House in New York; memories of going to concerts and live plays with close friends; or even live performances I have attended locally and recognizing the breadth and diversity of talent around me. In a time where we are shuttering arthouses and cinemas and closing the doors to culture, we must think of how we are also losing our capacity to feel in the moment.
It is vital to keep creating, to keep experiencing, and to keep sharing with others.