Sanja Latinovic
Do Not Cross, 2016

The work Do Not Cross is conceived as a part of the Master thesis and it was performed for the first time at the final exhibition at the Centre Pasqu Art in Biel. The work consists of three segments: installation-performance-installation. My idea was to cut off the space at the height of my neck with a glass surface which was suspended between me and the audience. The performance did not start with my positioning in the space, but rather the positioning of the glass which blocked one part of the space straight away. By moving towards the audience I cut my way through the glass. In other words, the resistance of the glass, in this case, determined whether I would be able to go through it to the end. This was a very delicate process which demanded great concentration and calm on the part of the performer. Once I stepped inside the glass there would be no turning back – I would have to go forward to the end or as far as I was able to. The feeling of constraint, which was caused in this case, enlightened me about the maximum pressure I could take. After doing the performance I intended to leave the construction, with the marked route of my movement, standing in the space for a couple of days as a memorandum of that event, namely, the second installation.

read more …

Two sets of 6 elegant metal blocks standing neck-high in parallel to the walls of a corridor more than 6m long positioned between the elevator and entrance. With the help of a wooden mounting, loosely clamped panels of glass are supported by the metal blocks and meet in the centre. The supported glass surface splits the passage into an above and a below, thereby creating a visual horizon.

The performer appears in front of the elevator, wearing light, formal clothing and walks into the centre. In her right hand, she is holding a tool which resembles a pair of pliers and her expression and posture radiate determined concentration. After 20 minutes of clanging sounds, she cuts herself a passage up to her neck in height and cleaves a precarious way over to us. The tempo varies, the shoes grind their way across shards of glass and the cracking sounds of cutting, dropping and shattering glass create their own soundscape.

Sanja Latinovic’s work captivates through the use of strong sculptural installations in the right location and through the complete resolve throughout the course of the performance with its many visual, aural, transformative and mental qualities. This act invites many interpretations and simultaneously consolidates the shared experience.

TEXT by Chris Regn


Expert from Performance at Centre Pasqu Art, Biel, Switzerland
18:00 min

Before

During

After