A two-hour workshop explored the potential applications of memory in relation to live art practice. The activities were selected from Lupi’s immersive three-day workshop, which examined memory and other related topics as resourceful and inspiring tools for live art.

Taking a step away from the realm of “ideas” as they are usually approached and more commonly understood, Lupi focused instead on the embodied manifestations of mnemonic inputs and the challenges surrounding them.

How could a memory be approached and handled in order to sublimate it into a coherent and powerful action in live art? What other useful notions could work in conjunction with memory and be applied within live art practice?

No matter the nature of individual memories — traumatic, blissful, alienating, fabricated or spontaneous — they all took shape in the present moment and carried the physical power to affect it.

All activities offered in the workshop targeted participants’ outlooks on memory, opening new perspectives through which they could experiment with future live actions, individually or collaboratively.

Participants from all backgrounds and levels of experience were welcome to attend. All that was needed was an interest in performance and live art practice.

Ivan Lupi is an internationally acclaimed performance artist whose work has been shown across Europe, North America and Australasia since the early 2000s. With a background that includes a Master’s in Queer Studies in Arts and Culture and decades of durational and participatory performances, Lupi’s practice often explores memory, identity, embodiment and the porous relationship between art and life.

Photo by Ivan Lupi