Sylvia Schwenk
Along white lines
This work, which joins art with sport and community, was performed during half time at the NTFA Grand Final at Aurora Football Stadium, Launceston.
During the performance over 400 spectators, around 15% of the audience at the football event, interacted with the work and/or spontaneously participated in the action, completely covering the lines marking the centre square of the AFL football field.
At the start of the performance the spectators were somewhat unsure of the work. Some of the audience joined in, but many more watched as the performers became the white lines of the field – the goalposts, the goal square and boundary line. There were even moments when some of the children on the field tried to kick balls at the performers. When the performers moved to become the 50 metre line and the boundary line, many more spectators joined in. The work culminated in the last movement, when the performers started to lie down along the white lines of the centre square – there was a transformation and spectators embraced the work and joined in.
The performance Along white lines is re-presented as a single channel video with sound, a series of photographs, a text installation and an artist book with an essay by the art theorist Andrew Frost.
Click on the image to view the video of this work. (17 mins 40' loop).
Schwenk, Along white lines I, 2011
Schwenk, Along white lines III - VI, 2011
Schwenk, Along white lines VII and VIII, 2011
Sylvia Schwenk Along white lines II, 2011
