M & P entered a completely dark stage, using only hand-held battery lamps to illuminate the floor, and positioned themselves facing each other. They then turned off the lamps. The performance commenced when P illuminated M’s abdomen. M, dressed in a heavy red skirt, waved a long cattle whip above her head, just in front of P’s face. As the whip cracked, P turned off the lamp. In complete darkness, they intuitively moved to new positions in front of each other, maintaining a safe distance. M then illuminated P’s naked body, dressed only in a black skirt, and he waved and cracked his cattle whip. This process of cracking, moving, and cracking was repeated rhythmically. M & P were alternately illuminated by strong beams of light, which dissolved the sense of distance between them. They focused deeply on their movements and whip-cracking, avoiding injury through precise and intuitive actions in the darkness. Once a position was established, they held it without further adjustment. The audience was positioned at a safe distance from the performers. The performance concluded when complete harmony was achieved between the rhythm of movement and whip-cracking skill, not when injury occurred. M & P exited the stage using the light of their hand-held battery lamps.

The performance symbolically conveyed that through the symbols of lightning and cracking, creative energy dissipated. The ‘corrective measure’ also represented dignity, the sublime, and resistance to any temptation, disorder, or chaos. Additionally, the performance hinted at latent eroticism, where both participants were inherently equal, with an equal probability of domination and submission (50% : 50%).

KEEP A DISTANCE / 1st International Festival of Premier Performance / Back Stage of the Theater, Cultural Center, Pančevo, Serbia, 11 October 2003, duration: 13′