Inanimate 48 April 2021 Submissions

Winner

Nick Ng – Ripple

There’s a scene in the movie “Get Out”
Where the protagonist is sitting in a chair
And he’s being hypnotized
He realizes he can’t move
And then he’s told to sink
As he watches his life through a tv screen
That gets smaller and smaller
He’s falling into an abyss, to nothingness
He can’t move, he can’t think
He can only observe
This scene stuck out so much to me
Because I have felt it before
And it was a terrible feeling
I’m sure other people have felt something like this before
When they have experienced trauma
Seeing George Floyd murdered
Hearing about the Atlanta spa shootings
Seeing trans rights taken away
Seeing another school shooting
We share a post on social media
Or talk to a friend
We stand up
We do something
We write letters to our representatives
We attend protests and marches
We create art
We try to make something out of this trauma
And then we see meaningful change happening
Slowly, small steps
But it is change
It’s good change
It’s not enough
But it’s better than nothing
And even if we start to lose hope
Each action that we have taken in the past
Has a ripple effect
And even if we’re not doing something
Someone else is doing something
And it’s influencing others
And at first it might not seem like much
But it builds
And it builds
And it builds
And if we reach
We can grab
The next
Goal
And know
That even if we feel hopeless
There’s always hope
To create a better world
That’s better for everybody
And we can keep standing for what’s right

Nick’s piece is very thoughtful. The mirroring of movements is very interesting to watch; the poem/spoken word, (which is hard to understand at some points in the video) really works well with his piece.

This piece demonstrates a singularly inventive application of the apparatus, and a well developed and uniquely delivered story. It’s executed with absolute vulnerability by the artist, holding space for himself and the audience to witness and experience the moment. Bravo.

Beyond using his art to speak about a meaningful cause, Nick Ng did an excellent job playing with camera angle, apparatuses, and space, in a way that quickly challenges the viewer to re-adapt their perception of between ground, wall, and ceiling. The changing camera angles used with the jumping and flipping accentuated the play between force and gravity in a novel way. The way that the overall weightlessness of this piece made the air surrounding the mover feel like the supporting object rather than the rope and wall makes to me makes this piece deserve an honorable mention.

Honorable Mentions

Sophia Herscu

Received 3 honorable mentions

I like the apparatus. It looks challenging, but fun. It’s extereming interesting to look at.

I particularly enjoyed both this intriguing new apparatus, and the fact that the artist didn’t rely solely on its novelty. A well developed movement quality and an organic commitment to the space was effective in composing a moment out of time. The setting also allowed me to insert my own perspective of daily life easily and to participate in the experience from a first person perspective.

Sophia’s movement on this unusual apparatus matched well with her task of trying to feel grounded on a platform that fights against that very thing. Sophia’s exploration was captivating because although her energy and performance quickly draws the viewer in, the viewer never feels like she is performing for any reason beyond exploring the outer (and inner bounds) of her space and movement. Sophia’s piece shines with authenticity and thus deserves mention.

Bae Max – Unfolding

Received 2 honorable mentions

Simple. I love the idea of using the green screen. I really got the sense that he was emerging from a deep isolation.

This piece captured my imagination with its sublime movement quality and innovative presentation. I appreciated the development of the character, and how the artist successfully conveys the experience of languishing ennui.

Donna Carnow – Releasing Technique(s)

Received 2 honorable mentions

Nominated for inventive use of perspective and imagery. A stark environment is brought to life with an organic life form exploring its right to autonomy within a space and its constraints.

This isolation of body parts and repetition with the videoing in this piece to me warrants honorable mention because it created such an intimate invitation to the viewer to experience something visceral and human. The choice to not use music and let the sounds of skin and breath become ambient created a lovely effect of amplifying this natural explorative quality. The choice of close up shots and the editing served this short and punchy piece well.

Hypha – The Illusion of Stationary Stars

Received 2 honorable mentions

Bonus points for original use of rigging without any actual apparatus involved, I enjoyed this piece mostly because of the relationship between artists. It was never obvious where my focus was supposed to be, and I appreciated the change in the status quo- the artist who appeared to be “the rigger” was as much a part of the composition as “the dancer” which is 100% true to life. The clean environment was also soothing to view, leaving me free of distractions to observe a relationship that defies classification.

I am nominating this piece for honorable mention because it is an incredibly well thought out and executed piece of artistry. The movement, apparatus, music were all cohesive. It presented both as a finished work but also a living exploration. I loved the combination of weight and space and the moments when the bodies seemed to slip in and out of becoming part of the rope. The piece and the artists’ inspiration from the poem felt mirrored (and very creative) without being too literal.

Sable – Pretty Thing

Received 2 honorable mentions

This piece fully drew me in from beginning to end! An excellent and innovative approach to presentation works beautifully within setting, story, a surprising apparatus, and a supportive but not distracting background score. It made me feel part of the story- uneasy but magnetic work.

Pretty Thing deserves honorable mention for its excellent and unusual exploration of movement quality and speed, matched to the sounds of a coffee pot. There were a number of particularly exceptional moments of surprises in movement quality and the hooking of sinking into the space that caught me by surprise in a rare, satisfying but unsettling fashion.

Elspeth – Waiting for Somebody Else to Move

Received 1 honorable mention

I loved the bare vulnerability in this piece, and the frank and open presence of the artist. I’ve also nominated this piece because of the unique exploration of line/perspective coupled with commitment to the moment

Kaia Wing – Bound

Received 1 honorable mention

The beauty of this piece was in the starkness of its environment. Given the environment and the initial point of view the camera took on, I had no choice but to admit I knew exactly what this felt like. A simple but effective piece- uncomfortable in a way I appreciate as an audience member.

Dan Schap – Rainy Day

Received 1 honorable mention

I’ve nominated this piece for the sheer joy it gave me to watch it. Unassuming in approach and with a clean and simple design, I enjoyed the choices of physicality by the artist and was surprised more than a couple of times. Relatable and refreshing.

The Vaccine Girls

Received 1 honorable mention

Just silly, pure fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. They actually use the walkers to dance/do acrobatics. It was refreshing to see this video among the pile.

Producer’s Pick

Emily Stratton – Woods Wandering

Inanimate 48 usually gets quite a few tree dancing submissions…it makes sense, how many other opportunities do you have to create dance work on a tree in a more formal performance setting? Not many! However, Emily’s “Woods Wandering” sticks out to me from many of the other submissions I’ve seen. She manages to take a handful of explorations and give them cohesion through returning to each setting at different times of day, in different weather conditions. It becomes lens into the passing of time in the natural world. Her organic movement, combined with details like leaving mud and sticks stuck to the bottom of her shoes, give a real sense of “oneness” with nature and brings me a feeling of serenity.