feeling fjordy: bdsm workshop ;)

#3: bdsm workshop ;)

bedside productions visited the fjord to share a hot and steamy workshop about applying a bdsm framework to collaborative art making practices. lead by @misscherryvelour & @vitamille, the workshop emphasised negotiation, play, and aftercare as bdsm tenets that could be applied to communal art making practices (and frankly a whole index of other situations). as our work(/life) is heavily influenced by collaborative making (lol surprise!!!), we were really excited to have an opportunity to experiment with this sexy ;) framework!

so to start, we were tasked with going out into the world and finding three objects that speak to us. (like literally anything). then we were divided into pairs and had to explain each other’s objects to the other (get it?). out of our six objects, we then had to collectively choose one object to serve as an abundant source of inspiration for the rest of the week. entering the negotiation, we negotiated - how we wanted to work, what we needed from each other, what our boundaries are - you know all the important parameters for building any trusting and intimate relationship!

after that, it was off to play time… play was really shaped by the creative working practices we developed in our pairs. here, we took our objects and explored what they meant to us. every group did something different and of course, worked in very unique ways.

then we had a “rest” day. before coming back on friday to share with the rest of the group what we made!!! which was honestly - so fun - because every pair was so different, and it was lovely to get a glimpse at other people’s creative processes.

after the mini-presentations, we began aftercare, which in this case happened in more of a group dynamic. there was lots of discussion. lots of reflection. lots of open communication. lots of ushy gushy slimey bits. after-care is all about looking after each other & ourselves. it’s emotional and can feel difficult, but suuuuuuuuuuuper important!!

anywayyys, we know ur dying to hear more about what we did so without further ado:

❀ jilly’s thoughts ❀

i worked with evo and we chose an egg shell, a very apt symbol for us (read into that what you may….). over the workshop, we dove into the egg/shell, and everything that it evoked for us: it’s mythology, symbolism, fragility, and significance. 

in a way, we built our own shell, a cozy space for us to inhabit while we spent time together. with candles abound, we prioritised space for beautiful conversation, careful listening and a slow process based practice. we experimented with a wide variety of exercises that helped us learn how the other thinks, and encouraged us to see what ideas resonated with us both. 

our focus was on seeing where the process would take us, and learning about each other - rather than rushing to decide on what we would “produce”. therefore we would take turns working independently on exercises, setting a timer, and then coming back together to share what we made. this enabled us to really pick up on themes/concepts that resonated with the both of us, and work without feeling too much pressure.

in the end, we decided we would make our own egg. over the course of the remainder of the residency, we will each build an exterior half of the shell and patchwork it together. we also made a list of things which we will put inside the egg; notes to each other, pieces of the original egg shell (though one half is now broken…). we will then bury the egg here, a memory for the future…for each other… for ourselves… for us to come back to, or for someone else to find. Because who knows when our egg (or us…) will be ready to hatch… 

❦ shelly’s thoughts ❦

i was paired with alban, an extremely talented and charming french/armenian dancer/performer who now, has become a very dear friend. in our negotiation, we realised that we’re both goal oriented and interdisciplinary (both of us work in very different mediums) and in such a short amount of time we wanted to create something really fun and vapid together. the object we chose was a mushroom that julia and i foraged and then dried (alban thought it was a flower at first lol) and we decided to create a really chaotic, overstimulating installation about “the mushroom”. we talked about how we just want this to be fun/chill/not stressful and how we work best when we’re making something for a purpose.

the installation was going to incorporate everything that tickles the senses: drawings, videos, texts, asmr (most of which we totally “appropriated” from the internet bc we’re curators). to add another dimension to this experience, alban really wanted to put on a performance, something i was very resistant to thanks to facing the limits (and insecurities) of my own body. initially i said no and that we carry on with a very static/no effort installation.

the first “play day” i was feeling really low and tired. so we both agreed to spend the allotted time listening to enya and drawing mushrooms to cover the walls of our installation room. we also didn't really consider how neither of us can sit still for more than 20 minutes at a time and at one point alban springs from their seat and says “allez, we’re going to do some moving”. reluctantly, i got up and stood in front of them and they suggested we do a little dance for 15 minutes. being the impatient prick that i am, i negotiate and counter offer 7 minutes (steep, i know). and then, with the most cheeky smile they say to me “do you know what a privilege it is to dance with me?” we both crack up laughing and kudos to them, i agreed to a 12 minute dance. i don’t remember if enya was still radiating in the background but next thing i know we were both “mushrooms” in a “forest” - moving slowly and elegantly (mainly them) up and down the stairs. (so obviously, this had to be included in the installation.)

it was a weird week in general, my need for constant doing was being interrupted and i was being a brat about it. there were times where i was brought back to my summer camp days where my friends and i would skip activities because we would rather gossip in our bunks. but i think in the end, i learned about compromise and trust. i learned about listening and being intuitive and respectful to your partner and most importantly, when you have an opportunity to dance with a brilliant professional, you don’t take it for granted ;)

again, big thanks to @misscherryvelour & @vitamille thank you for your time, care, and guidance. we learned so much with you.

♥ ♥ ♥

jul & mich