Stills from the projected film.

- Galeria Liberdad, Santiago de Queretaro, in collaboration with El Dia D, Friday, February 3, 2023

Mira Miraculous is a performance that investigates the relationship between the human inner world and the world that surrounds us. It is divided into two parts. In the first part Huttner invites the audience to an introspection exercise. While listening to subdued ambient music the participants are invited to massage special cream into their hands. They then close their eyes and spend some time to first relax and then investigate how their hands feel. How does the skin, bones, ligaments, muscles and nails feel? What is the individual traits of the fingers and the thumb? How does the palm feel different to the upper side of the hand?

With their eyes still closed. They then continue to investigate their inner world with the same curiosity and warmth that they have sensed their hands. Special attention is given to the music and its influence on their inner worlds. How does music affect one’s inner feeling? Does it make one calm or affect one in different ways? Does it evoke colours, images or other sensations?

       Images of the audience

After the introspection exercise, the audience is invited to move into the main gallery space. Here the music becomes louder. The choreographer Benoît LaChambre lies on a bench in front of an empty film screen. He wears an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset and engages in introspection. The signals generated by his brain are sent in real time to Huttner’s computer and affects the sound. The audience sits down, Huttner turns on the video projector.

The audience then watches a 20 minute long film that reflects on introspection (see stills and trailer below.) We see a woman who is engaged in introspection. She moves from reality to reality throughout the film. She also uses the same hand cream that the audience all wear and the cream has magical effects on the surrounding world. While the audience watches the film, Huttner makes music based on LaChambre’s brain waves, creating infinite feedback loops between the different levels of introspection in the film and in the space.

     Benoît LaChambre and the projection

       Stills from the projected film.

 

Mira Mirculous was performed as part of  “You Are not A Guest,” curated by Abir Boukhari. It was shown at Elbirou Gallery in Sousse, Tunisia. April 17, 2023. The introspection exercise that takes place in the beginning of then performance was carried out in French. Hela Lamine performed with Huttner. She was wearing the EEG and Huttner was using her brain activity to improvise music in real time. (Photos by Muhammad Ali and Abir Boukhari.)

   Images from the performance in Tunisia