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ilka Leukefeld

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Performance as Rhodonessa caryophyllacea

2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld
2017-07-29-ilka-leukefeld

Photography: Pippa Koszerek.

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Rhodonessa caryophyllacea

Performance by ilka Leukefeld on 29 July 2017, at the John Cage Haus at the Burchardi Abbey, Halberstadt. (The occasion was the finissage of her exhibition there, Fearless, Highly Intelligent and Successful.)

At the beginning of the performance, Leukefeld announced to the audience that the duration would be determined by the time it took for the three litres of water she was about to drink to necessitate a toilet visit.

Leukefeld has previously worked with a number of extinct animals and 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 lived on the floodplains of the Ganges and in the riverine swamps of Myanmar, the artist forced herself to drink a dangerously large amount of water before she squeezed into an assortment of pink-coloured clothes. Using wire, she tied a pink footstool to her bottom, strapped pink paper around her legs and tied feathers drenched in pink paint to her fingers. Most of the time, her movements were restricted by a large pink inflatable ring she had found discarded at a London pool.

This strange creature in a bikini recalls other performance works by Leukefeld, in particular Fare una Bella Figura, in which a female polar bear dresses as a female human.

Once again, the subjects of naturalisation (which might stem from a great urge to go unnoticed and blend into a new environment) and trauma related to the refugee situation spring to mind. Laughter paired with thoughtfulness accompanied the performer when she waddled off on her way to the toilet.

Fotos und Texte, wenn nicht anders angegeben // Unless otherwise stated, all images, videos and text © ilka Leukefeld, 2023. All rights reserved.
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