Gallery ‘Yard’,
Pancevo, SCG
18 June 2003 at 00:10 a.m.
Duration: 20′
Curator: Svetlana Mladenov
Igor Giovanelli – tattoo master from ‘Tattoo Studio Giovanelli’, Pancevo
Svetlana Mladenov –Gallery director, curator
Vanja Milinkov – sound editing
Stevan Kojic – photos
Marcus Richardson – editor
Nenad Forgo – light and sound
Milos Lacmanovic – staff
Sava Djordjevic – staff
MP_per_03 LEFT – RIGHT was the third and the final intimate performance by MP through which they made unity with each other.
M & P stood in contra-post positions covered with transparent fabric around their hips and illuminated by red light. M stood in front of a red panel on which hung a small painting LEFT and P stood in front of a black panel with a painting RIGHT hung.
The performance began when all of the exclusively invited audience members occupied their places in the gallery. 30 seconds after the music started, performer C came into the spotlight. He prepared equipment for tattooing. He tattooed the left arm of P with the word ‘RIGHT’ in black ink.
After finishing tattooing P’s arm, performer C changed the needle and color tank on the tattooing machine and tattooed the right arm of M with the word ‘LEFT’ in red ink. The entire time M looked to the profile of P, who was looking straight ahead.
The performance ended when performer C finished tattooing M and cleaned the equipment and left the spotlight. After 30 seconds the light and sound were turned off and the intimate performance was finished!
The symbolism of the performance is complex and has different roots. According to the Bible the protector stays on the right-hand side. The first man [Adam/androgen] had a left part female and right part male, and later the Creator separated it into two. Generally, Christianity has adopted that the left side is female with the meaning of darkness, night, and satanic, and the right side is male with the meaning of light, day and divine. The left side symbolized vulnerability and insecurity and accordingly also youth, while the right side symbolized power and success and accordingly old age. Respect of God is shown by turning to the right side, never to the left. The left side had a passive meaning and the right side active; the left symbolized the past which man cannot influence, while the right side symbolized the future. The left side is also disastrous and the right side is beneficial.
In eastern symbolisms the relations between left and right are completely different than the symbolism in Christianity: the left side represents sky and it is respectable, dignified, and belonging to wisdom and faith. The right side is in relation to the moon, water with the female elements.
