In the recording, Vicuna discusses some myths. One in particular caught my ear. It was the one in which Europeans were depicted with little notebooks because they were unable to remember. This caused me to reflect upon what is almost a universal theme in cultures that have intersected with European colonial conquest and its catastrophic consequences. Although she laughed at the comedy in the depiction (a nuance unavailable in the written version), I recognized what I believe to be a cultural resentment; a subtle disdain. If the observation has merit, then I expect to learn that the tone of some of her work will reflect such sentiment. The second part of the recording for which we have only audio sounds like an incantation. Even though, it is a foreign language to me, it “feels” as if Vicuna is reaching out for ancestral support or to some higher source beyond the moment.
Interesting too is how she handles the malfunctioning microphone situation. As readings for today attest, Vicuna discards the idea of fixity with these performances. When the microphone situation is resolved, she does not pick up where she left off, but considers the original direction of her performance as “lost.” But this loss is a good thing in that it does not affect the creation of the performance in any meaningful way. Not clear on how much time elapsed between the malfunction and the resolution. What did she do with that time? Was it edited out of the recording? Did she drink water during this break?
Carleton, good thoughts on the “myth,” the laughing, and the way that “loss” plays out in this small performance excerpt. I might not go so far as to say disdain, but Vicuna certainly takes a critical attitude towards the west, colonialism, power, elites, modernization, etc. There’s something a bit Zen or spiritual about her — so she does not take a militant stance, but there is definitely an idea of resistance …. Some “readers” are annoyed with the idea of losing some of the performance; I follow you, however, in thinking it’s inevitable and appropriate to the performance.
Hi Carlton-Do you think she is searching for ancestral support or do you find her purpose a bit more directed now that we have talked about her in class..
Maria, yes I have a better understanding of what was going on with what I initially perceived as an acknowledgement of the ancestral element or incantation. How do you define “more directed” in this context?