Marianna Sfyridi
My upcoming residency in Toronto Islands will be focused on the fluidity of identity as this is prevalent in the works of Fernando Pessoa and the different characters he had built. I would like to explore the use of fluid materials in performance practices as performer and artist, I have been inspired by the works of Fernando Pessoa, who explores the idea of multiple selves and fluid identities in his writing. I plan to work on creating performances that explore this idea using water environments. I will experiment with different materials such as water, oil, and ink, or various locations with the liquid element to create immersive performances that challenge the audience’s perception of their own identity. I am particularly interested in continuing my research in the island of Euboea, Greece, during the summer. This island has a rich history of water-based rituals from ancient Greece, and I am excited to explore how this history can inspire my work. Furthermore, I plan to implement VR technologies in my performances, to create immersive experiences that allow the audience to explore different aspects of dance. My goal is to research, perform, and educate others on the potential of XR tools and their impact on our environment. With the right guidance and professional tools, we can create a new generation of climate change warriors through art. I am confident that my work will contribute to the vibrant arts community in Toronto and beyond, while advocating for a sustainable environment. Lastly, I will use photos from my environmental molecular research project from the University of Sao as a background for the dancing.
My current work, originating from my mixed background as a pharmacist and a dancer, focus on combining these sciences in order to search how the control of the human body’s , also understood from VR perspectives can alter embodiment and the projection of the body as a social and political means. The psychology of movement and the principles of our actions in society as movers and as individuals are largely affected by the seasonal changes and advancements of technology. How would the audience perceive such cases and what are the prejudices and taboos we build around them? What ways we have to deconstruct the above walls and embrace our differences? I try to answer these questions through elaborate research, choreography and lots of neurophysiology behind. The aim is to focus on effects of biology but also the travelling of ideas through the body in different seasons on the person, and the subsequent kinesthetic properties they adopt. By observing the variants in these behaviors, one would be able to deconstruct social barriers and use the sick body as a new means of expression and hug the differences and uniqueness of each and every one of us. Location wise I have worked with Permaculture communities, both in Sao Paulo and Evia island, where I come from, originating from an immigrant family from indigenous people of Armenia and Turkey. In these projects, I tried to work on the relationship between natural space and the dancer. Other influences of my art include percussion drumming, painting, and creative writing, which has always been my partner through these discoveries, throughout the collective writing group Ringing Pockets’.
~~~
Apart from my professional background as a dancer and pharmacist, I am also an XR+EdTech Specialist, working closely with the application of VR Technologies in society and education so a location of my current practice would be in the virtual worlds! More about my work can be seen on my Instagram or Vimeo accounts.