The Arrangement

Stefanie Mann

The Arrangement is a work existing in two parts which reference each other. This referencing is a method applied to re-arrange time. Time is a property of this situation and thus a potential material. The work exists in multiple states, partly physically in real-time and partly only in the imagination of the viewer. The work, in a feeble but honest way, attempts to predict the future whilst altering the view of the past.

 

 

ACT ONE: 9 PM TUESDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2012 - SNEHTA, ATHENS, GREECE.

 

SCÈNE

A SPACE IN THE GALLERY.

THE WHITE SIDE OF DUO-FABRIC IS VISIBLE AS IT LAYS ON THE FLOOR.

MINT, LILAC AND RED ARE OUT OF VIEW. 

SCRIPT

MINT ENTERS THE SPACE AND WALKS TOWARDS THE NARROW EDGE OF THE WHITE,  DRAGGING FROM THEIR ANKLE, LILAC, WHO IS HOLDING ON WITH BOTH ARMS LAYING RIGIDLY ON THEIR SIDE ON THE FLOOR, SMILING. LILAC LETS GO OF MINT'S ANKLE WHEN POSITIONED BESIDE THE WHITE. MINT CONTINUES TO WALK THROUGH THE SPACE, AROUND AND THROUGH THE PEOPLE WATCHING. MINT IS FOLLOWED BY RED WHO ONE BY ONE REMOVES A BLOB OF BLU-TACK FROM MINT'S FOOT AND PRESSES IT ONTO SOMETHING IN THE SPACE. FOR EACH BLOB REMOVED, MINT RESPONDS WITH A MESSAGE OF THANKS AND RED RESPONDS WITH A MESSAGE OF YOU'RE WELCOME, VARYING BETWEEN ENGLISH AND GREEK LANGUAGE. MINT DOES NOT ALTER THEIR WALKING SPEED TO ACCOMMODATE FOR RED. AT SOME POINT IN THIS PROCESS, LILAC, WHILST REMAINING RIGID, ROLLS QUICKLY FACE-DOWN ONTO THE FABRIC AND REPEATS THE PHRASE 'KEEP IT SIMPLE' UNTIL MET BY MINT AND RED. AFTER MINT'S FEET ARE EMPTY, MINT WALKS TOWARDS LILAC'S FEET, RED WALKS TOWARDS LILAC'S HEAD. TOGETHER, SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEY CROUCH DOWN AND BEGIN TO ROLL LILAC UP IN THE FABRIC, REVEALING THE GOLD. RED LEANS LILAC AGAINST A WALL. THE SMELL IS NORMAL. MINT STARTS TO STEP SIDE TO SIDE, CLAPPING, LIKE BAD DANCING, WHILST RECITING "BLUE ENTERS THE SPACE WITH THE FOLDED ORANGE LOOP BALANCED ON HEAD, HUMMING A NOTE, THEN STANDS STILL. PINK AND YELLOW, TOUCHING SIDE BY SIDE, RUN TOWARDS BLUE AND CRASH, KNOCKING THE ORANGE TO THE GROUND AND SILENCING BLUE.  BLUE REMOVES PINK'S NECKLACE, THEN YELLOW'S NECKLACE THEN THEIR OWN NECKLACE, AND WHILST SQUEEZING INTO A BALL REPEATS: "HEY CAN IT BE IN IT?" AS PINK AND YELLOW, NODDING THEIR HEADS CONSTANTLY, MOVE TOWARDS THE ORANGE AND COMPLETELY UNFOLD WHILST MOVING BACKWARDS SIMULTANEOUSLY. BLUE, PINK AND YELLOW ARE SILENT AND STILL AS THEY THINK ABOUT TIME FOR ONE MINUTE. PINK AND YELLOW PLACE THE ORANGE LOOP AROUND THEIR HEAD AND AT MAXIMUM FABRIC STRETCH BEGIN TO ROTATE. BLUE THROWS THE BROWN BALL OFF INTO THE DISTANCE AS PINK SAYS SCRIPT FOR ACT ONE. WHILST PINK IS TALKING AND SPINNING, BLUE HOLDS YELLOW STILL AND THEY START TO TALK IN GREEK ABOUT INTERESTING THINGS. AS THE TWO CONVERSATIONS BLUR TOGETHER THE PEOPLE WATCHING START TO FEEL LIKE VIEWING THIS IS A GOOD USE OF THEIR TIME. BLUE FINISHES TALKING AND THE THREE ARE SILENT, THEY LEAVE THE SPACE AND GO TO DRINK COFFEE TOGETHER". RED LEAVES THE SPACE AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING. WHILST MINT IS TALKING, LILAC SAYS 'I'M GOING TO REMOVE MYSELF', AS THEY GET OUT OF THE FABRIC AND REPLACE IT IN IT'S ORIGINAL POSITION ON THE FLOOR, GOLD SIDE UP. LILAC HUGS MINT AS MINT CONTINUES TO TALK. LILAC LEAVES AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING. MINT LEAVES THE SPACE AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING. 

 

ACT TWO:

3 PM SATURDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2012 - A PUBLIC SPACE OUTSIDE, ATHENS, GREECE.

 

SCÈNE

AN AREA OF OPEN SPACE OUTSIDE.

TREES/SHRUBS/PLANTS PRESENT.

PINK, YELLOW AND BLUE ARE OUT OF VIEW.

 

SCRIPT

BLUE ENTERS THE SPACE WITH THE FOLDED ORANGE LOOP BALANCED ON HEAD, HUMMING A NOTE, THEN STANDS STILL. PINK AND YELLOW, TOUCHING SIDE BY SIDE, RUN TOWARDS BLUE AND CRASH, KNOCKING THE ORANGE TO THE GROUND AND SILENCING BLUE.  BLUE REMOVES PINK'S NECKLACE, THEN YELLOW'S NECKLACE THEN THEIR OWN NECKLACE, AND WHILST SQUEEZING INTO A BALL REPEATS: "HEY CAN IT BE IN IT?" AS PINK AND YELLOW, NODDING THEIR HEADS CONSTANTLY, MOVE TOWARDS THE ORANGE AND COMPLETELY UNFOLD WHILST MOVING BACKWARDS SIMULTANEOUSLY. BLUE, PINK AND YELLOW ARE SILENT AND STILL AS THEY THINK ABOUT TIME FOR ONE MINUTE. PINK AND YELLOW PLACE THE ORANGE LOOP AROUND THEIR HEAD AND AT MAXIMUM FABRIC STRETCH BEGIN TO ROTATE. BLUE THROWS THE BROWN BALL OFF INTO THE DISTANCE AS PINK SAYS "MINT ENTERS THE SPACE AND WALKS TOWARDS THE NARROW EDGE OF THE WHITE,  DRAGGING FROM THEIR ANKLE, LILAC, WHO IS HOLDING ON WITH BOTH ARMS LAYING RIGIDLY ON THEIR SIDE ON THE FLOOR, SMILING. LILAC LETS GO OF MINT'S ANKLE WHEN POSITIONED BESIDE THE WHITE. MINT CONTINUES TO WALK THROUGH THE SPACE, AROUND AND THROUGH THE PEOPLE WATCHING. MINT IS FOLLOWED BY RED WHO ONE BY ONE REMOVES A BLOB OF BLU-TACK FROM MINT'S FOOT AND PRESSES IT ONTO SOMETHING IN THE SPACE. FOR EACH BLOB REMOVED, MINT RESPONDS WITH A MESSAGE OF THANKS AND RED RESPONDS WITH A MESSAGE OF YOU'RE WELCOME, VARYING BETWEEN ENGLISH AND GREEK LANGUAGE. MINT DOES NOT ALTER THEIR WALKING SPEED TO ACCOMMODATE FOR RED. AT SOME POINT IN THIS PROCESS, LILAC, WHILST REMAINING RIGID, ROLLS QUICKLY FACE-DOWN ONTO THE FABRIC AND REPEATS THE PHRASE 'KEEP IT SIMPLE' UNTIL MET BY MINT AND RED. AFTER MINT'S FEET ARE EMPTY, MINT WALKS TOWARDS LILAC'S FEET, RED WALKS TOWARDS LILAC'S HEAD. TOGETHER, SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEY CROUCH DOWN AND BEGIN TO ROLL LILAC UP IN THE FABRIC, REVEALING THE GOLD. RED LEANS LILAC AGAINST A WALL. THE SMELL IS NORMAL. MINT STARTS TO STEP SIDE TO SIDE, CLAPPING, LIKE BAD DANCING, WHILST RECITING "SCRIPT FOR ACT TWO". RED LEAVES THE SPACE AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING. WHILST MINT IS TALKING, LILAC SAYS 'I'M GOING TO REMOVE MYSELF', AS THEY GET OUT OF THE FABRIC AND REPLACE IT IN IT'S ORIGINAL POSITION ON THE FLOOR, GOLD SIDE UP. LILAC HUGS MINT AS MINT CONTINUES TO TALK. LILAC LEAVES, AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING. MINT LEAVES THE SPACE AND DOES SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING." WHILST PINK IS TALKING AND SPINNING, BLUE HOLDS YELLOW STILL AND THEY START TO TALK IN GREEK ABOUT INTERESTING THINGS. AS THE TWO CONVERSATIONS BLUR TOGETHER THE PEOPLE WATCHING START TO FEEL LIKE VIEWING THIS IS A GOOD USE OF THEIR TIME. BLUE FINISHES TALKING AND THE THREE ARE SILENT, THEY LEAVE THE SPACE AND GO TO DRINK COFFEE TOGETHER.  

 

The performance takes place in the framework of the exhibition "The First Circle".