Report on Video Stills from Prep Performance for Alter Ego 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria: De Chirico Analysis and Symbolic Themes
PROLOGUE
Report on the Significance of the Opening Image in the Performance
The description of the opening image sets a foundational tone for the performance, offering insight into both its thematic intent and symbolic elements. This image, of a silhouette holding a recorder against a deep blue backdrop on a stage, introduces several significant components that frame the unfolding of the dance and its narrative.
Symbolism of the Silhouette and the Recorder
The silhouette of the performer, standing against a deep blue backdrop, creates an immediate sense of mystery and detachment. Silhouettes, by nature, lack specific identifying features, reducing the person to an archetypal or abstract form. This artistic choice hints at universal themes rather than a focus on individual identity, suggesting that the performance will explore broad existential or metaphysical questions rather than personal narrative alone. By beginning in silhouette, the performer emphasizes anonymity, echoing themes of alienation and the unknown, key concerns in de Chirico’s metaphysical art. The contrast between the dark figure and the blue light evokes a sense of detachment, as though the performer exists in a different plane of reality.
The presence of the recorder as a musical instrument is significant in its ability to produce simple, haunting, and almost primal melodies. Music in metaphysical art often evokes hidden emotional landscapes and speaks to the intangible forces shaping human experience. Here, the recorder represents both communication and silence. It is an instrument that can fill the space with sound, yet in this particular image, its use is still anticipated, contributing to an atmosphere of tension and expectation. The performer, holding this simple, childlike instrument, may be invoking themes of nostalgia, purity, or primal communication—ideas that contrast with the mysterious and foreboding silhouette.
The Role of the Blue Light
The blue light is one of the most striking elements of the image and contributes significantly to its emotional and symbolic weight. In art and performance, blue is often associated with feelings of calm, introspection, and sometimes melancholy. The use of blue lighting might signify the inner world of the performer, suggesting that the performance is about to delve into deeper, subconscious emotions. This aligns with de Chirico’s metaphysical art, where blue skies or backgrounds are often paradoxically paired with feelings of unease or existential questioning.
However, while blue light traditionally suggests serenity, its interplay with the stark silhouette and the stillness of the stage introduces a level of ambiguity. The serene blue does not create comfort but instead heightens the viewer’s sense of anticipation. This atmosphere of suspended action, where everything is frozen in time before the start of a performance, is typical of metaphysical art, where familiar objects or settings are placed in contexts that evoke strangeness and contemplation.
The Chair as a Recurring Motif
Even in this opening image, the chair is present, establishing itself as a central motif. As in de Chirico’s paintings, where architecture and objects serve as silent witnesses to human experiences, the chair stands as a symbol of stability, constraint, or observation. Its presence on stage from the beginning signals its thematic importance in the narrative that will unfold. Chairs in art often symbolize the human presence, even in its absence. By focusing the attention on both the chair and the performer’s silhouette, the scene suggests a tension between the performer’s individuality (embodied by the person holding the recorder) and the anonymous, inanimate force represented by the chair.
Throughout the performance, the chair will likely serve as a metaphysical counterpoint to the performer’s movements, representing something immovable, perhaps societal structures or fate, that contrasts with the performer’s dynamic existence. Its introduction at the outset marks it as a silent witness to the drama that is about to unfold.
Atmosphere of Anticipation
The image captures a strong sense of anticipation, as though the performer is about to engage in a captivating musical or dramatic act. The lighting, focused on the performer, highlights both the recorder and the performer’s posture, adding a sense of readiness. The silence before action invites the audience to reflect on the emotional weight of the moment before the performance truly begins.
This anticipatory stillness also resonates with metaphysical themes, where time often feels suspended. De Chirico’s works frequently depict cities or plazas devoid of people but filled with signs of life or action—like statues, shadows, and objects—creating an eerie tension. Similarly, the opening image of the performance suggests that while the stage is set, there is an unexplained weight in the silence, a tension between action and inaction, presence and absence.
The Stage as a Metaphysical Space
The stage, framed by heavy curtains and lit by a focused spotlight, evokes a traditional theatrical setting but also suggests a metaphysical arena. This is not merely a physical space for a performance but a stage for exploring the inner world, existential struggles, and subconscious states. The curtains further add to the theatrical metaphor—they represent both concealment and revelation, embodying the boundary between what is known and what lies beyond human understanding. In metaphysical art, curtains often appear as symbols of mystery or the unknown, as though what lies behind them could be a revelation or another layer of concealment.
Conclusion
The opening image, with its silhouette, blue lighting, and staged setting, lays the groundwork for a performance steeped in mystery, anticipation, and existential inquiry. By drawing upon the visual language of metaphysical art, the scene establishes key themes that will resonate throughout the performance: the dislocation of objects and identity, the interplay between presence and absence, and the exploration of the subconscious.
The silhouette of the performer holding a recorder signals the potential for communication or expression, but its darkened form also suggests a distance from reality or self. The blue light evokes introspection and an emotional depth, contrasting with the static, stark presence of the chair, which symbolizes stability, observation, or constraint. Together, these elements create an atmosphere of suspended reality, inviting the audience to witness a performance that unfolds not just in physical space but within the metaphysical dimensions of existence, identity, and the subconscious.
This opening moment serves as a prelude to the fragmented and surreal journey that follows, drawing heavily on de Chirico’s influence to explore themes of estrangement, stability, and the human condition. As the performance progresses, these motifs will likely be deepened, revisited, and expanded, creating a rich tapestry of symbolism and existential reflection.
Three Video Stills
Introduction
The instant dance presented in these three stills offers a rich visual and thematic landscape to explore, framed through a de Chirico-inspired analysis. Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical art invites interpretations of mystery, timelessness, and estrangement, blending classical objects with modern psychological undertones. The juxtaposition of a performer, a chair, and a blue glove in an otherwise sparse, shadow-filled setting opens the door to profound symbolic interpretation. This report will first analyze each image individually, before moving into broader thematic conclusions, drawing from de Chirico’s principles and metaphysical symbolism.
Image 1: The Leaping Figure
• Description: The first still captures the performer in mid-air, wearing a suit, leaping away from a chair. The stage is minimal, with dark, heavy curtains, wooden flooring, and a spotlight illuminating the action.
• De Chirico Analysis:
• Suspension in Time: The figure’s mid-air pose mimics the stillness and timeless quality often found in de Chirico’s art. The jump is paradoxical—it conveys motion but feels frozen, emphasizing a sense of being caught between worlds or realities.
• Empty Stage as Timeless Space: The emptiness surrounding the performer, much like de Chirico’s barren landscapes and city squares, evokes a feeling of desolation. The absence of other objects or people amplifies a sense of isolation, as if the performer is alone in a dreamlike void.
• Chair as Symbol: The chair, static and seemingly ordinary, takes on a mythological role akin to de Chirico’s use of classical architecture. It could symbolize stability, authority, or a throne-like position in contrast to the dynamic motion of the performer. Its juxtaposition with the airborne figure suggests an attempt to flee from this fixed state—perhaps representing a desire to escape a static role or identity.
Interpretation:
• Existential Leap: The leap may represent a symbolic attempt to break free from the constraints of reality or identity, a key theme in de Chirico’s metaphysical explorations. The chair, standing as a symbol of structure or societal order, is left behind in the jump. The image conveys the tension between stasis and motion, reality and escape.
Image 2: The Reclining Figure and the Blue Glove
• Description: The second still shows the performer reclining on the floor, partially lit by the spotlight. A single blue glove lies near them. The chair, still central, remains static in the background.
• De Chirico Analysis:
• Mannequin-Like Stillness: The performer’s pose, lying prone and almost mannequin-like, recalls de Chirico’s frequent depiction of statuesque, immobile figures. This figure appears at rest or defeated, hinting at surrender or contemplation.
• Dislocated Object—The Glove: The blue glove lying on the floor is a striking element. In de Chirico’s work, random objects often appear disconnected from their surroundings, evoking a sense of surreal mystery. The glove could symbolize loss or abandonment—a role discarded, a gesture unfulfilled. Its color, vivid against the muted background, could signal a rupture in an otherwise monotone world.
• Chair as Monument: The chair’s continued presence, looming in the background, reinforces its symbolic weight. In de Chirico’s plazas, classical objects like arches or statues create a sense of ancient, unchanging permanence. Here, the chair remains unmoved as the performer’s physical state changes, symbolizing an unyielding force—perhaps fate or societal expectation.
Interpretation:
• Loss and Reflection: The reclining figure suggests a moment of surrender or introspection. The glove, out of place and seemingly forgotten, may represent a fractured identity or discarded role. The chair’s continued dominance reinforces the tension between the individual’s agency (the leap in the first image) and the immovable constraints of reality or society.
Image 3: The Crouching Figure Behind the Chair
• Description: In the third still, the performer crouches behind the chair, with their hands gripping the backrest. Only one eye is visible, peeking through the intricate design of the chair. The stage remains dim, with the spotlight focused on the chair and the performer partially hidden.
• De Chirico Analysis:
• Partial Visibility: The performer’s eye, visible through the cutout of the chair, introduces a moment of surrealism reminiscent of de Chirico’s fascination with masks and faceless figures. The act of hiding yet watching evokes the metaphysical tension between presence and absence, between what is seen and unseen.
• Chair as Barrier: The chair transforms into more than a static object; it becomes a barrier between the performer and the audience, much like the masks in de Chirico’s art. The intricate design, which now frames the performer’s single eye, adds a layer of mystery. The chair, no longer a passive object, becomes part of the performer’s concealment and part of their visibility.
• Surveillance and Awareness: The visible eye through the chair’s cutout could symbolize watchfulness or awareness, even in a state of concealment. This echoes de Chirico’s recurrent themes of hidden knowledge, subconscious awareness, and the fragmentation of identity. Even in hiding, the performer remains observant—suggesting an omnipresent, introspective gaze, perhaps representative of the internal observer or the subconscious mind.
Interpretation:
• Concealment and Exposure: The tension between hiding and watching adds psychological depth. The chair now symbolizes a protective shield, but it cannot fully conceal the performer’s awareness. The visible eye suggests that even in concealment, the performer is still exposed or engaged in observation—reflecting the fragmented, paradoxical nature of identity in de Chirico’s metaphysical landscapes.
Thematic Overview
1. Timelessness and Estrangement: In all three images, the setting—a minimal stage with dark curtains and wooden floors—recalls de Chirico’s timeless, empty cityscapes. The performer’s actions, while dynamic, appear suspended in a dreamlike void, emphasizing a sense of being outside of time. This estrangement from ordinary reality invites viewers into a psychological or metaphysical space, where actions seem to unfold in a vacuum, detached from normal cause and effect.
2. Surreal Object Displacement: The chair and the blue glove, in particular, take on symbolic weight in the performance. Both objects, ordinary in function, are dislocated from their usual roles, much like de Chirico’s treatment of classical architecture and everyday items. The glove, lying on the floor, represents a kind of existential residue—something left behind in the act of transformation. The chair, standing as a monumental presence, becomes a key player in the unfolding drama, symbolizing stability, constraint, and observation.
3. Existential Struggle and Fragmentation: Across the images, the performer’s body shifts from leaping, to reclining, to hiding—suggesting an internal struggle. These movements may reflect different phases of an existential journey: the desire to escape, the collapse into contemplation or defeat, and the retreat into concealment. Each phase hints at a fragmented self, struggling with the weight of reality, represented by the imposing chair, which remains unchanged throughout.
4. Concealment and Partial Exposure: The third image, where the performer’s eye peeks through the chair, encapsulates the de Chirico-like paradox of visibility and concealment. The eye represents awareness or insight, even as the performer tries to hide behind a shield. This moment of partial exposure invites reflection on the nature of identity, surveillance, and the balance between what is revealed and what remains hidden.
Conclusion
Viewed through the lens of de Chirico’s metaphysical art, the instant dance captured in these stills becomes a profound meditation on themes of identity, existence, and the subconscious. The minimal stage, the isolated chair, and the lone blue glove serve as symbolic anchors for the performer’s shifting states of being—leaping, reclining, and hiding. These images evoke timelessness, estrangement, and the existential tension between presence and absence, mirroring de Chirico’s dreamlike, unsettling worlds.
The presence of the chair throughout the performance acts as a central metaphor for stability, constraint, or perhaps fate—an immovable object in a world where the performer’s body moves through phases of escape and retreat. The blue glove, a striking and seemingly random object, underscores the surreal displacement that marks this metaphysical space. Together, these elements form a tableau that invites viewers to contemplate the nature of reality, identity, and the invisible forces that shape human experience.
AI/IAN
Sofia, Bulgaria, October 2024
