You enter into this world with heavy throbbing, like a reverberating drum, or perhaps the deep, deep, thumps of a heartbeat. So begins The View From Nowhere.

Anyways, so I had this really pretentious detailed review and description of The View From Nowhere planned out in my head but it kinda got buried under the mountain of homework I have for the weekend, and weekend plans, and sleep. Also there was the fact that some of it is just really, really hard to describe in words.

Here’s the gist of it, in an email I sent to Sara Camnasio:

Also, I really enjoyed the event! The performance was definitely outside of the traditional or even conventional, and nothing like I’ve ever seen before. The design of the seating was really interesting. It created a sense of closed space, like gazing into a single world. Like P.J., Julian and Jocelyn’s performance made me think of chaos becoming ordered, especially in the first part, but it also gave me a sense of unnaturalness, uneasiness, or unearthliness (which an interesting word to think of in the context of this event). That first part had a really strong impact on me. I was also really impressed in the physical sense of all the movement, it looked really exhausting, kudos to their stamina and dedication. P.J.’s talk was really cool, and with all this talk online about conflicts and foreboding predictions of the future, I really hope that one day, there will be a picture bigger than all of us. Also, his way of presenting is really endearing.
Just a few more thoughts to toss out:
  • An interesting thought after the discussion was that part with the countries is somewhat inevitable strife with political implications, but also to be distant and beyond it.
  • Through the performance, we start with two that are physically close but not touching; we move to them circling each other, describing the world; and last they are bridged. An interesting transition.
  • Also I like the idea of a performance is not just the act but to have changed the space you performed in, to leave it changed from before.
  • The Overview Effect… you know I took this geopolitics class in high school. If the new generations consider ourselves a global citizen, then what is the matter of borders and countries and fights for resources? At the same time, do we lose tradition, history, culture? What are the consequences if we become a unified planet? What are the consequences if we do not?
    • You know I’m trying to think of scifi games and fiction and trying to remember if they depict humans and aliens unified or divided but that’s a little off topic.
  • Yes, I stayed until the end of the discussion. By the end of it, I was cold cold cold. But looking back, you know what? I don’t regret staying till the very end.
  • That said, it was a dress rehearsal, so.
  • Some (rather poor quality) pictures to come if I get permission.