Central to Jan Pilgaard’s artistic practice is an interest in the traumatising creation of the individual’s self-identity, seen against the backdrop of social norms and their constant presence. At its very core his work addresses the question of whether it is ever possible to believe in the internal reality of personal experience and self-perception set against the overwhelmingly invasive influence of the cultural heritage we inherit. The constant interference of collective norms alter the subjects potential for acting and being a free agent to such a degree that even the perceived ‘truth’ of personal experience is questioned. As every account of the human experience is based on an artificial commonality agreed upon by two or more actors (persons, societies, cultures, etc.) the very authenticity of remembering an experience is invalidated.
For the performance and resulting installation at the Now Museum, Pilgaard has invited hypnotist Simon Parker from Vienna to intervene within the traditional space of the audience, trespassing upon the territories of individual and collective, public and private to reveal their complex and fragile existence. In doing so, the piece playfully examines how agreements on reality are fabricated within a collective consciousness and forces the audience present to question not only the subjectively assigned value of 'art' but of reality itself.
Fluid and not precisely defined, the opening night will harness the energy of a full scale live hypnotic séance as directed by Simon, before transforming into a karaoke singing night. The resulting footage will then be presented in the space as an installation; a map of interior and exterior events that has no co-ordinates and subverts any instinct to apply conventional judgement values upon it.
