PLAYERS
2023PLAYERS
Installation & Performance
Players, the solo exhibition by PentHouss that premiered at Inter.Pblc Gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark, features an installation of swings accompanied by a performance. Often involving one rider and one pusher, the swing motif has long symbolized collaboration, trust, and the building of interpersonal relationships. PentHouss's swings draw inspiration from the realms of competitive horse riding and adult entertainment, interrogating how sport, sex, and play offer frameworks for envisioning collective social harmony. Simultaneously, they reflect the routines, rules, and power dynamics of modern workplaces and the societal roles we are trained to embody from childhood—both as individuals and as members of a larger team.
The installation is supported by construction scaffolding and marked with floor patterns reminiscent of sports pitches, the gallery space veers from brutal playground to uncanny gymnasium, setting imaginary stages from which to unpack notions of individualism, achievement, collectivism and the gameplay of social order.
The accompanying performance features three dancers clad in office attire, engaging in a sequence of repetitive exercises. These movements, dictated by a clock and blaring alarms, prompt the "players" to rotate roles until they reach physical exhaustion. This relentless choreography serves as a satirical commentary on the rat race of modern adult life, amplifying the pressures of overwhelming wellness standards and the pursuit of unattainable ideals.
Original composition & sound design -Anna Lann
Performers - Maji Claire, Thea Carla Schøtt, Simon Ventzislav
Wearing - Masculina, Puer Parasitus
Photography - Brian Kure
