Interview with Franzisca Siegrist
'31 Cups'. Photo by: Eric Merour
19.08.2014
Q: Why / when / how did you start to work with performance, what is your background, how did you arrive at doing performance?
I started to work with performance art since I joined a one-year long performance class of Bartolomé Ferrando in Spain. It was my last master year of visual art studies, and I was quite lost, not knowing really in what direction I wanted to go. After a while I understood that this was what I wanted, as it gave me the possibility to combine many things I liked: working with the body, the space, it is time based, I can introduce installation or video and I can use a wide range of materials, both finished objects from everyday life or objects I create my self.
Q: What is your process like when you make a performance, from idea to actual work?
This can vary very much and it starts from different points. Usually I get visual images, like flashes, short clips of actions, that I find interesting. Often I go around some time with these images before I actually write them down or draw them. Sometimes I get obsessed with a material or object I just HAVE to use. Other times it is the idea or concept that is there first. But anyway all this goes hand-in-hand, and once the process has started I often hop from one to the other. In the middle of the process I try out ideas, to test if these ideas that goes around my head are realistic, doable, and I sort out images/actions. It is more like a practical technical tryout. In the end it is about composing all these small actions into one, in an order that makes sense in relation to the idea. Like in any other artistic process this can take a very long time or get solved shortly. Up and down…
Q: What role does performance art have in your life / artistic praxis. Do you also work within other fields, like installation, sculpture, drawing, other expressions. How do they influence / inform each other?
Performance art became very important after finalizing my master. I started working just with this, and I got many opportunities to develop and present my performance work. But I see that I always considered other art forms in my performances. I don’t think my performances would be what they are without the knowledge I have in visual art and other fields. Sometimes my performances are based on small installations where I move objects or small sculptures around – like a shifting and evolving installation. I am more and more interested in the combination of fields and to challenge myself within a variety of art forms. I am very much looking forward to explore more exhibition projects.
Q: With what kind of form / material do you express yourself and use in your work and how did you arrive at using this material. (eks: form?, material, sound, technical, movement).
I often use everyday life objects. Some of the latest materials I have used are: cups, chairs, thread, books, feathers, beans, food cans, glass jars…
My performances are low tech, and they are based on my own body working with these materials. I have been interested in the transparency or opacity, heaviness or lightness of the objects, as well as experimenting with the sounds that the different materials create.
The reason I started to work this way is quite down to earth, as a student the budget was very low. Our school did not provide us with much materials and tools, so we ended up using what we found around us, at home, in public spaces or out in nature. And we created with that as a starting point. So simple objects got transformed into something else, new and different. And that’s how I still work today.
Q: How do you experience or consider the audience / surrounding. What space / surrounding do you find interesting to work in. How does your surrounding influence your work? Do you involve the public? If so how?
All this factors affect my work: the audience, the surrounding, the space: if it is big or small, white or gray, outside, inside, windy, sunny… My works are never finished until I am in the space, and they are always adapted to it. I like all kind of spaces, each has their challenges, their conveniences or inconveniences. It is all about being able to adapt yourself and your work to it.
Sometimes I involve the public, not always, but I do if the idea needs it. In previous performances I have asked people to hold something, and very often I have offered them food as part of the work. If I involved the audience it is always in a very conciliatory way, I never force them to participate and its often easy and “good” task I ask them to do. I don’t like to put them in a difficult or uncomfortable situation; this would not suit my ideas.
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Q: Why / when / how did you start to work with performance, what is your background, how did you arrive at doing performance?
I started to work with performance art since I joined a one-year long performance class of Bartolomé Ferrando in Spain. It was my last master year of visual art studies, and I was quite lost, not knowing really in what direction I wanted to go. After a while I understood that this was what I wanted, as it gave me the possibility to combine many things I liked: working with the body, the space, it is time based, I can introduce installation or video and I can use a wide range of materials, both finished objects from everyday life or objects I create my self.
Q: What is your process like when you make a performance, from idea to actual work?
This can vary very much and it starts from different points. Usually I get visual images, like flashes, short clips of actions, that I find interesting. Often I go around some time with these images before I actually write them down or draw them. Sometimes I get obsessed with a material or object I just HAVE to use. Other times it is the idea or concept that is there first. But anyway all this goes hand-in-hand, and once the process has started I often hop from one to the other. In the middle of the process I try out ideas, to test if these ideas that goes around my head are realistic, doable, and I sort out images/actions. It is more like a practical technical tryout. In the end it is about composing all these small actions into one, in an order that makes sense in relation to the idea. Like in any other artistic process this can take a very long time or get solved shortly. Up and down…
Q: What role does performance art have in your life / artistic praxis. Do you also work within other fields, like installation, sculpture, drawing, other expressions. How do they influence / inform each other?
Performance art became very important after finalizing my master. I started working just with this, and I got many opportunities to develop and present my performance work. But I see that I always considered other art forms in my performances. I don’t think my performances would be what they are without the knowledge I have in visual art and other fields. Sometimes my performances are based on small installations where I move objects or small sculptures around – like a shifting and evolving installation. I am more and more interested in the combination of fields and to challenge myself within a variety of art forms. I am very much looking forward to explore more exhibition projects.
Q: With what kind of form / material do you express yourself and use in your work and how did you arrive at using this material. (eks: form?, material, sound, technical, movement).
I often use everyday life objects. Some of the latest materials I have used are: cups, chairs, thread, books, feathers, beans, food cans, glass jars…
My performances are low tech, and they are based on my own body working with these materials. I have been interested in the transparency or opacity, heaviness or lightness of the objects, as well as experimenting with the sounds that the different materials create.
The reason I started to work this way is quite down to earth, as a student the budget was very low. Our school did not provide us with much materials and tools, so we ended up using what we found around us, at home, in public spaces or out in nature. And we created with that as a starting point. So simple objects got transformed into something else, new and different. And that’s how I still work today.
Q: How do you experience or consider the audience / surrounding. What space / surrounding do you find interesting to work in. How does your surrounding influence your work? Do you involve the public? If so how?
All this factors affect my work: the audience, the surrounding, the space: if it is big or small, white or gray, outside, inside, windy, sunny… My works are never finished until I am in the space, and they are always adapted to it. I like all kind of spaces, each has their challenges, their conveniences or inconveniences. It is all about being able to adapt yourself and your work to it.
Sometimes I involve the public, not always, but I do if the idea needs it. In previous performances I have asked people to hold something, and very often I have offered them food as part of the work. If I involved the audience it is always in a very conciliatory way, I never force them to participate and its often easy and “good” task I ask them to do. I don’t like to put them in a difficult or uncomfortable situation; this would not suit my ideas.
<< Back