Day 1 - Physical set up…
The artists prepared a huge table for
seniors with difficulty painting on the floor.
Appreciating this arrangement, the seniors painted the 2m x 2m canvas
with great ease, but a little too quickly.
One could even see it in their eyes, there was not the dreaminess of
contemplative work, nor the excitement of creativity; it was apparent that the
seniors understood it as a task to be fulfilled. Perhaps the physical setup was too similar to
their daily activities. So, for the
afternoon, the artists decided to return the painting to the floor with low chairs.
Returning from lunch, the seniors were
eager to take on this challenge of a larger canvas placed on the floor. Maybe because of the slight physical
discomfort, the painting slowed down and an atmosphere of concentration was
built up. Artists periodically led
everyone to standup and stretch, in essence standing back to look at the
composition and colour of the bigger picture before continuing. After
finishing this second painting, they returned to the table to paint their
individual aprons with visibly greater indulgence.
Day 2 - Circle Catwalk…
The event included a performance of ‘circle
dance’. While some participants truly
enjoyed the somatic movement of their bodies, some were very reluctant to be
part of this dance. To help these
participants, the artists used the 8m x 2m circle painting from the previous
day as the catwalk. Being able to move,
play, lie and dance on their own painting was a strong empowerment, and their own
physical presence became more acceptable.
The canvas clearly defined the physical space of the dance, making the
process imaginable for those unaccustomed to the freedom of an empty stage. Secondly, the dancers were provided with a
prop each: the silk umbrella that each of them painted on day 1. As a traditional Chinese dance prop, the
umbrella inspired and empowered many participants. All participants found their place in the
rehearsal and performance. For those
that were still unable to really ‘dance’, they strode across the circle catwalk
with more confidence and physical grace than they themselves realize.
Day 3 – Painting Together…
I have always dreaded speaking with
reporters, being over self-conscious to say the ‘right’ thing. Having persuaded and blackmailed several of
my fellow artists to be interviewed by newspaper and television, I was finally
cornered by an earnest reporter looking for answers. “How has ‘We are all the same’ actualized in
this festival”?
The theme of the festival was “We are all
the same”. This slogan is certainly a reminder
to the social reality of the city, and to all of us committed to making this a
reality. After a few minutes of
stuttering through press-release points, my mandarin finally got into a groove.
“It is simple to say and display these
slogans, but painting together gives us the chance to experience it. [I stopped myself from going into theories
about how circle painting is facilitating this]
Just look around you, you see people of different age, physical and
mental ability, those rehabilitated from leprosy, and shoppers, passers-by
painting shoulder to shoulder. This is
no longer just a slogan to them, this has been a reality”.
