Neighbours

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff, 10 February 2005
In front of the Galerija Novi Hram, during
the "Far Near Neighbours" Sarajevo Winter Festival XX, Bosnia-Herzegovina.


performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff


performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff 


Calling another a neighbour, whether far or close, is about the relationships we have with each other.



In the performance Neighbours a woman paces in the snow creating a circular path.


At some point she takes one or more groups of yellow sponge men from a shopping bag and places these at differing locations around this circle.


As the performance proceeds and more 'running men' are added, the distances (relationships) between these change the impression from that of isolated figures to preceiving these figures as a group. Of figures running together, or of figures running towards or against each other.


performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff 

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff




From a distance they form a circle reminscent of the circle of yellow stars one finds on the European flag.



performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

This was an ideal location for the performance, Neighbours. The Turkish Culture Centre was in front across the street, next door was a Synagogue, in the circumfrance of about 400 metres were an Orthodox Church, a Mosque and a Catholic church. I chose this spot too, because I'd been working out here daily, laying out the snails in the area in front of the gallery where our exhibition was.

 performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

 artwork, copyrighted by Sonja van Kerkhoff

I placed a shopping bag of yellow sponge men on the ground, then walked with my eyes closed, creating a circular path in the snow. I just walked in circles with my arms out, sometimes with my eyes closed, trying to feel the balance of a circular path in the snow.

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff






The white paper flowers were by another festival artist, Shin Yong-Gu (South Korea).



performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff    

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff    

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

Views through an intervention by another festival artist, from Max Buhlmann, (Austria).

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

He hung netting between two poles and cut out two circles, and so altered the path people used to walk between the two streets.




     performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff         

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

From a slide. Photo: Ali Bramwell (New Zealand)

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff         

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff

performance by Sonja van Kerkhoff
artwork, copyrighted by Sonja van Kerkhoff

artwork, copyrighted by Sonja van Kerkhoff


Photo: Ali Bramwell.

artwork, copyrighted by Sonja van Kerkhoff

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