Choreographer, performer, educator and movement researcher, Dean Walsh’s latest production, Infinite Item, is his largest scale work that focuses on intersections between art, environmental science, Climate Change, and also foregrounds this global pandemic as a moment in modern human history when our impact on the biosphere has been massively lessened whilst we have all been in lockdown. This work focuses on environmental themes since he began his research into this thematic base in 2007.
As part of this work and a result of a 2-week residency that Dean still refers to as the “You Are Here!” residency, he held two Open Studio online and in person sessions in June. Participants looked in at what he and his team are doing, as they finalise the many details of this production, and asked questions about the work and the points of collaborative adaptation.
Two other online and in-person sessions will be held on 3rd and 4th of July. As in-person and online spaces are extremely limited at this stage in the works’ presentational life, and need to include festival directors, future co-presenters and local council members, attendance to the two presentations will be by invitation only.
Infinite Item
Infinite Item, has had several, quite diverse, incarnations across nearly ten years; from choreographic research points as part of Critical Path Residencies between 2006 and 2013; a 3-day durational performance installation at Performance Space in 2014; and its first staged realisation, then called Threshold: NRC, in 2018 at PACT as part of their AfterGlow: Generations program.
Infinite Item was originally planned as a 3-day “mini festival” of events, talks, workshops and performance, called, You Are Here!. This was to be in collaboration with Woollahra Municipal Council’s commitment to the ‘Plastic Free July Campaign’ and curated by Dean.
As with countless events over the last few months, this gathering of community around intersections between art, environmental science, Climate Change concerns and more unorthodox methods of communicating these intersectional concerns, has been reshaped by the COVID-19 lockdown. The continued uncertainty has instigated the need to adapt to an online version.
As such, Dean decided to put all the efforts into finalising Infinite Item, as a large scale “solo” work, as the main focus and to ensure, with his team of experienced artists and technologists, that these two initial and more intimate “try-out” presentations are at best possible broadcast quality.
This further ensures it of having longevity as a work that also highlights environmental aspects that have become apparent during this global pandemic, as a moment in modern human history, where our impact on the biosphere has been massively lessened whilst we have all been in nearly three months of lockdown. The work has substantial audience participation and that is also being adapted for an online variation.
Infinite Item is supported by Woollahra Municipal Council through the Community and Cultural Grants Program.
Images by Dean Walsh.