Deconstructing Luay Eljamal's 'Symmetry Doesn't Exist' Performance Copy

7/24/2019 Deconstructing Luay Eljamal's 'Symmetry Doesn't Exist' Performance Copy

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EB 11, 2016 CULTURE

Deconstructing Luay

Eljamals Symmetry

Doesnt Exist

Performance

Pacific

We were given a moment to chat with Eljamal following the end of his

erformance to gain a better understanding behind his process for creating such

piece as this. While Eljamals responses may not give us the exact meaning of

is performance, it gives us good theoretical bases to get started.

The

Pacific

The

Pacific

The Pacific DailyELJAMAL: The initial idea came to me while watching the new Steve

Jobsmovie. The one with Kate Winslet and Michael Fassbender. It got

me thinking about binaries. Initially in the digital sense, and then with

more time, I thought of it in terms of dualities, or oppositions. The idea

of symmetries in the real world, really intrigued me. Not in the

aesthetic sense of the word, but metaphorically speaking. Is there such

a thing as social and biological oppositions in the real world? That

was one of the questions I sought to explore through this performance.

ljamals performances are often rooted in philosophical or performative theories. InHunter-Hunted, he commented

n his use of Lawrence HalprinsRSVP cycles(Halrpin 1970). We were curious to know what Eljamals influenceswere for Symmetry Doesnt Exist.

ELJAMAL: I think Symmetry Doesnt Existhas the heaviest research base compared to my other

performances, where my focus has primarily been on the technology and aesthetics. In terms of performance

philosophy, I looked a lot at mask theory; not just the use of mask in performance, but the use of mask in our

day-to-day lives. I was particularly interested in Pochinko, Lecoq and Hendersons methodologies on how

the study of neutral mask affects different parts of our personal identity and public personas. I also drew

from Brechts distancing techniques. I sort of thought How can I use his techniques in a way that

encourages audiences to critically think about a performance in todays technology-infused world? And of

course, a lot of my stylistic choices came from watching contemporary pop culture artists, as I believe that,

like it or not, they are a huge driving force behind challenging the status quo in mainstream society.

In terms of social theory, I looked at child psychology and theories on categorisation. Whittlesea has some

interesting things to say on the subject. I looked at feminist theory, of course. I looked at the gender binary

and the counterarguments that exist within the idea of a gender spectrum and how pop culture has shaped

the overall perceptions of these issues.

When asked what it all meant, Eljamal responded with a cheeky:

ELJAMAL: Well thats up for you to decide, isnt it? Everything has meaning.

ljamals mise-en-scene mirrors his Symmetry Doesnt Exist

motif before the performance even begins. Although the

tage set appears to be equally balanced and symmetrical at

quick glance, a closer look shows that it is far from being a

mirrored image. In a very Brechtian fashion, Eljamal makes

ure that the stage and auditorium [are] purged of

verything magical (Brecht in Hurstfield 2014), opting

nstead to show us what would usually be left behind the

cenes: the tools that went into putting the performance

ogether. An upright piano is umbrellaed by a large pair of

On Eljamals Mise-en-Scene

uay Eljamal is back with new performance Symmetry Doesnt Exist, and yet

gain, we will try to deconstruct it. Last time, we explored the ins and outs and

ll the subtle imagery, influences and meanings behind Eljamals performance

Hunter-Hunted. His latest is just as controversial and confusingbut also

erhaps the most concept-driven performance hes done so far.

Click here to watch Eljamals performance recording:

http://www.luayeljamal.com/symmetry-doesnt-exist.html


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References

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Feb. 2016].

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at: http://www.foolmoon.org/corporate-training/[Accessed 20 Feb. 2016].

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_b_6494820.html[Accessed 20 Feb. 2016].

Hurstfield, Tuirenn (2014). Theatres of Revolution - Brecht & Artaud.Life in the Theatre.

Available at: http://www.lifeinthetheatre.com/theatres-of-revolution-brecht-artaud/[Accessed 19

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Lambert, Mary, Lewis, Ryan. and Haggerty, Ben (2012). Same Love. Macklemore LLC.

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Available at: http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/lgbt-pride-symbols/#sD7KAWbXNOqs

[Accessed 20 Feb. 2016].

Richardpochinko.com, (n.d.).Pochinko False Face. Available at: http://richardpochinko.com/mask1.html[Accessed 21 Feb. 2016].


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Germanotta, Stefani and Laursen, Jeppe. (2011).Born This Way. New York.

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Deconstructing Luay Eljamal's 'Symmetry Doesn't Exist' Performance Copy