Leukefeld performed live at the Finissage of her exhibition Fearless, Highly Intelligent and Successful at the John Cage Haus at the Burchardikloster in Halberstadt.

At the beginning of the performance she announced to the audience, that the length of the performance would be determined by the time the 3 litres of water she was about to swallow would create the need for a toilette visit and announced the creation of a sculptural piece.

Leukefeld has been working with a list of extinct animals on various occasions. For this particular performance she choose to work with the pink headed duck, Rhodonessa caryophyllacea.

Leukefeld used found and bought man-made materials. In a furious attempt to recreate the once so beautiful and majestic large diving duck, which was located at the Gangetic plains of India, Bangladesh and in the riverine swamps of Myanmar, the artist forced herself to drink a dangerously high amount of water, squeezed into pink-coloured clothes, some of which had their shop-labels still attached. Using wire she tied a pink footstool to her bottom, strapped pink paper around her legs and dunked feathers into pink paint, which she later tied to her fingers. While doing all that, her movements were districted by a large pink swim-ring she had found discarded at a London Pool.

The macabre looking creature in a bikini reminds of other pieces Leukefeld has created, such as Fare Una Bella Figura, were a female polar bear dresses up as a female human.

Again, the subjects of naturalization, which might create a great urge to go unnoticed, or to blend into a new environment, and issues related to traumata related to a refugee situation spring to mind. Humorous laughter paired with thoughtfulness accompanied the performer when she waddelt on her way to the toilet.

Photography: Pippa Koszerek.