In July 2021 I had an opportunity to spend a month in their hometown, Izhevsk, Russia. I haven’t lived in Izhevsk since I was 18. Therefore, it felt especially meaningful to come back as an adult and a professional artist and offer art practices to and exchange with local communities of artists.

“The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
“The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
Lecture about performance methods. Photo by Shtab Lift
Lecture about performance methods. Photo by Shtab Lift

Local cultural workers helped me to organize a 2-hour open lecture on my artistic working methods in performance named “Tiredness and failure as methods and flickering of time as the connection: engaging with contemporary performance.” The lecture was hosted by the Izhevsk center for the community engagement Shtab Lift. In the beginning of the lecture I carried out a short movement improvisation practice.

“The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
“The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che

Supported by several local art institutions and the artistic community I offered a free two-weeks performance laboratory named “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” for the local artists, activists and movers. The participants worked outdoors, did an ethical shopping center intervention, met 4 times for 3 hours and also did performative assignments in between the meetings. The laboratory focused on the questions of learning about the space, leaving traces, making new connections with urban objects, and exploring the meaning of performance and performative. During the last meetings the participants showed the performances that they developed during the laboratory.

  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dash Che
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Olga Khramova
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Olga Khramova
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Olga Khramova
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Olga Khramova
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
  • “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov
    “The poetics of a street bench and a walk into (un)known” 2-week workshop. Photo by Dima Bolshakov