Dry me a river

A personal encounter with Hofmann’s performances leaves us with the impression of condensed time and an intense slowness in which each performative gesture is not simply a note but a melody, and in which this collective action can be perceived as a polyphony of corporealities and emotionalities. Gestures such as mouth-to-mouth breathing, carrying the other, the creation of chains from fingers, aural manifestations etc. are layered, repeated, and patiently insist on their own incarnation. Though individual tasks are planned in advance, they are more or less improvised within the context of the performance itself.

An emphasis on the stylisation of the performers’ expression and appearance is important. Since we live in an age in which stylisation and authenticity cannot be separated out, Hofmann uses these simple gestures within a fashionable and stylised environment and thus draws attention to both their importance and their inadequacy. The immediacy that this achieves is also due to the fact that new arrivals are welcomed into the performance in a natural, non-violent way. The boundary between the artist and the viewer is clearly delineated, but the performance itself is forever being recreated.