Performance, « Dysfashional » exhibition, Paris, 2009
IS THIS IT is a deceptive ode to the model’s body, which takes the form of a four-hour shoot that brings together a fashion photographer, Jouke Boss, and five models, on a set where two works by visual artist Mathieu Mercier have been installed.
For four hours, the models, dressed in their own everyday clothes, embody 10 of Michael Jackson’s iconic poses, with the same routine for each: they set up, then maintain the pose for 20 minutes while being bombarded by the fashion photographer who directs them, recalling the mythical scenes of Blow Up.
The models go through phases of boredom, exhaustion or great tension, without the mystery of their presence ever being unveiled. And despite the physical performance, the model’s body seems more disembodied than ever in its plasticity and denial.
Exhibition curated by Emanuele Quinz & Luca Marchetti