Das Kollektiv der Liebenden (People of the South)
The work with the title "Das Kollektiv der Liebenden (People of the South)" consists of two performance-videos, one sound work and a text. The performance for the camera took place in the abandoned former Kronos factory in Eleusina, Greece. Eleusina is a major industrial centre in Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the secret Eleusinian Mysteries or the Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone.
The work is based on a speculative fabulation written by V Franck-Lee Alli-Tis especially for the project. It explores the conditions of joy, loss, vulnerability, global warming and the bodily aspects of language. The performance is being set in the ruins of a former oil and wine factory from 1922. It shows rituals of pleasure and intimacy during the nocturnal encounters that the collective of lovers enacts when they are able open their mouths as soon as it gets dark. The performers' movements and poses are inspired both by representations of the Eleusinian Mysteries and by the queer cruising culture. The vocal performance is based on the practice of deep listening developed by composer Pauline Oliveros.
The work uses the dynamics and relationality of the voice along with paralinguistic elements to shed light on the material and bodily aspects of speech production.
The fairytale goes like this (summary):
The sun's rays, when in contact with saliva, force a chemical compound in the body that causes even the last drop of bodily fluid to leak out abruptly and fatally.
A group of friends and lovers flees from the south to the northernmost point of Iceland where sunshine is rare. During the day, in the months when the sun is shining, they live in the belly of a caring whale. At night they come out and only then can they open their mouths.
They delight in nocturnal encounters.
They carefully listen to the of the whales, the water and the air, forging a language that speaks sounds they can make with their mouths closed.
As soon as it gets dark, they come out and stage a farewell feast
They come out while the joy of opening their mouths sets in
They dance with the shadows of unheard words
„Das Kollektiv der Liebenden (People of the South)” is a narration about voice, affinity, kinship, care, collective grief and joy.
"Das Kollektiv der Liebenden"_a polyphonic paralinguistic video-performance
HDV, colour, sound
Duration: 17 min 37 sec and 09 min 22 sec
Performers and vocalists: Christina Karagianni, Nefeli Myrtidi, Antonis Antoniou, Marios Chatziprokopiou, Nuri Diakaki, Eleonora Vratskidou.
Kamera / Video and sound editing: V Franck-Lee Alli-Tis
With a painting titled "My suns" especially created for the project by Maria F. Dolores
Info about the text and the sound work:
"People of the South"_a polyphonic sound wok
Duration: 19 min 59 sec
Music / Drums / Keyboards / Sound Editing: V Franck-Lee Alli-Tis
Vocals/performative reading: Oyto Arognos, Christina Karagianni, V Franck-Lee Alli-Tis (Komminuτέρας music gang)
Text: V Franck-Lee Alli-Tis
Proof reading: Maria Petrides and Clémentine Roy
Translation to Icelandic: Kari Ósk Grétudóttir
The work is created for the exhibition "From the shore to the mud pool" which took place at Verksmi∂jan, Hjalteyri, Iceland from the 30th of July 2022 to 31th of August 2022.