Upheld by the holy pillars of postmodernism — a reference wrapped up in another reference, irony slathered on as thick as the white paint covering Tobias Manderson-Galvin’s shaved head, and a generous helping of parody and pastiche — The Eternity of the World presented by the Manderson-Galvin siblings is a time. I’ve yet to decide whether it was a good one or a bad one, but I think a state of limbo is probably what they wanted.
In my humble opinion, this performance is one that defies review and needs to be experienced rather than recounted, but because I have a job to do please refer to the following vignettes to make some sort of assessment:
Hilariously bad magic tricks, a continual breaking of the fourth wall. A well-lit gallery space with some initial awkward fumbling. A marvellously sexy and experimental jazz-inspired score backing the casual conversations and recollections between two siblings. A plush pony toy in a wolf mask, mercilessly slain. The passage of time, the eternal nature of existence and its simultaneous nothingness. Pseudo-intellectual statements mocking their pseudo-intellectual nature. Quotations. An absurd reenactment of Rocko’s Modern Life. More quotations. Dreamscapes and poetry.
Confused? Great. Sound a bit wanky? Definitely, but what is contemporary art if not an exploration of one’s own futility and wankery? This performance will take you on an exploration of your lived reality while delving into the surreal and unknown. Or at the very least, you’ll have a good giggle because y’know, irony and stuff.
Photo Credit: Rupert Reid
