absolutely everybody judges

The performance experience is shared through a one-way mirror; the performers can see the participant, but the participant can only see themselves in reflection. The clean and minimal space of the ‘audience side’ of the gallery provides little distraction or respite, and participants must sit and face themselves throughout the exchange. These interactions have been recorded and form a multi-channel video installation, which is exhibited in the space. The care for the participant from the Ensemble is evident in their process – the camera dwells on the nervous smiles, fidgety fingers, revelatory tears, or amused chuckles – but it feels intimate, not extractive. You feel empathically for the participant and can imagine yourself in their position. In fact, as you explore the work - feel free to take a seat!

Aha Ensemble is made up of a collective of artists, with diverse bodies and minds. Often the world has radically different expectations of each individual and consequently each member experiences the world differently. In this installation, some of these experiences are captured in the wallpaper designs that are hung in the ‘performer side’ of the bisected gallery. These reflections from Aha Ensemble were generated during the development process, when they were collectively creating their prompts and structure for the performance work. The wallpaper records moments when the world’s expectations of them fell short, depicts the judging eyes that follow us around, and reveals the potency of the expectations we place on ourselves. 

As people who have felt the sting of presumption, the Ensemble didn’t want to needlessly wound or offend – and instead aimed for an honest rigor that would disarm and reveal. You learn a great deal about someone through how they engage with the world. Aha Ensemble’s dialogue allows their participants (and via the video, us) to see themselves in new ways, to better understand the limits we place on ourselves, and discover that the things they thought were deeply buried are visible for the world to see. This methodology for ‘judging’ is as follows:

How to See People

- Watch the person as they enter
- Let them arrive within themselves and in the space
- Absorb the obvious
- Spend time with the less obvious
- Seeing sometimes involves listening
- Look for the clues
- The places where life has left a mark
- The places the person wants to share with you
- Then places the person wants to hold back
- Look deeper. Repeat
- Process

This list is pinned next to the mirror on the ‘performer side’ of the gallery, scattered around it are other prompts, instructions, and relics that shape the live performance process. It’s a handy reminder for the Ensemble but also forms a generous set of guidelines for us all to carry through life. Seeing sometimes involves listening. Look deeper. Process. This honesty is a gift. 

Absolutely Everybody Judges is an installation that highlights the power that our words have, the enduring presumptions we carry around with us, and most importantly our responsibilities to one another. Through listening to the performance portraits unfold one after another and reading the remarks scattered over the wallpaper and notes we slowly begin to learn more about the Ensemble members themselves (No burping in microphone, Remember sometimes tears are not a bad sign). Critique is ultimately revealing, and this is the kernel of the work; absolutely everybody judges, but as the Ensemble perceptively note the mirror is eventually two ways.