BACKGROUND at The Depot, The Complex
15 Jan 2025
Performance duration: 35mins
The Complex hosted BACKGROUND, a performance devised by artist Bea McMahon, choreographer Artémise Ploegaerts and theatre-maker and writer Díc Walsh. The performance was developed in response to the exhibition GOD, a collaborative exhibition by McMahon and artist Conor McFeely, which was shown in The Gallery from 14 Dec 2024 to 17 Jan 2025.
For the exhibition GOD, Bea McMahon investigated the backgrounds that appear in her dreams. In the dream state, a considerable amount of energy is spent smoothly changing backgrounds between scenes which provide environments for dramatic and emotional content. BACKGROUND responded to the thematic and conceptual framework of GOD, particularly its meditation on dreams as a way of experiencing reality beyond rationality.
This exhibition circled around a meeting place between an all knowing being (or GOD) and a human being - a meeting which is mutually beneficial. The all knowing being gains recognition and coherence while the human being gets clues as to who they are.
This concept was explored further in the performance by lifting subjects and subject matter out of the world’s background and mirroring a dreamlike process whereby a constant morphing of identities tested the relationships between them. Costumes, props, scenography and a plot lifted from a butoh performance met the figures of Erasmus of Rotterdam, Euroboy, Medea and a chicken. — Bea McMahon
BACKGROUND was well attended, underscoring its resonance both with the artistic community and the wider public. It stands as a compelling testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. By bringing together artistic, choreographic, and theatrical practices, the piece extended the inquiries of GOD beyond the confines of the gallery.
Bea McMahon (IE/NL) uses various media including sculpture, performance, song, dance, moving image and installation. Trained in mathematics and mathematical physics, she navigates through conceptions of reality and their corresponding appearances in the outside world.
Artémise Ploegaerts (FR/NL) is a choreographer and performance artist. Her practice is multidisciplinary and combines movement with theater and/or video. She completed a B.A Dance Theatre at Trinity Laban in London and a Master of choreography from ArtEZ Institute of
the Arts, Arnhem (NL).
Díc Walsh (IE) is interested in author-driven, experimental theatre. His work ranges from formalistic explorations of language, often using verbatim transcriptions, to using theatre to meditate on emotive themes. Originally trained as an architect, he began making theatre in 2009.
Documentation stills of the performance 'Background' @ The Complex 15 Jan 2025.
Scripts, choreography and scenography were developed together with theatre maker Díc Walsh and choreographer Artémise Ploegaerts who also starred alongside Bea in the performance. Camera by Deniz Buga
Hosted by The Complex and produced by Mark O'Gorman, the development of the project was generously supported by Mondriaan Fonds and The Arts Council of Ireland.