19 October 2022 - 17 January 2023
Online

Lisa Freeman, Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor screening on ‘aemi online’

19 October 2022 / / Online
Screening for free on 'aemi online' until January 2023, available worldwide
Still from video of a performance on a stony beach. Four young adults with light skin wear a mix of dark and bright clothing, including: a red sparkly jacket, lime green khaki pants, a yellow and a green Hawaii shirt under a casual black zipper with a green stripe down the sleeve that repeats the ASICS logo. The three people in the centre of the image are on a protruding rectangle of concrete. They have concentrated looks on their faces, and their bodies mirror each other while they hunch down to hold a "run on the spot" position. The person on the right hand side has purple hair and is playing the saxophone. Behind them the sea is grey and the sky is totally overcast.

Lisa Freeman, Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor, with an introductory text by Dennis McNulty

The video of Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor offers a compelling viewing experience of the site-specific performance of the same name by Lisa Freeman presented in June of this year with Mermaid Arts Centre. Her flair for activating the now defunct sea bathing pool at Naylor’s Cove in Bray is evocatively captured in this twenty minute work. Freeman’s intricate staging and choreography reveal a complex interplay and overlay of ideas around health, leisure, emotion and the body that are amplified by her rhythmic and pathos-infused script.

Dennis McNulty opens up the work even further in his accompanying introductory text. Drawing on a rich set of references, ranging from Beckett to the semiotics of fashion, the text weaves seamlessly between concept and context. McNulty considers the significance of the cove, the physicality of the performers and the styling of their costumes to capture the exquisite energy of Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor.

Visit the free exhibition of Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor on ‘aemi online’ here

This ‘aemi online’ screening is available with closed captions. The captions were produced by Eat the Pips in collaboration with the artist. To activate the captions, click the CC button and select English (Ireland) CC.

Film info
Lisa Freeman, Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor, 2022, 4K digital video, Colour, Stereo Sound, 21 minutes 12 seconds

 

Download Dennis McNulty’s text:
Dennis McNulty, introductory text (Word doc)
Dennis McNulty, introductory text (PDF)


Images:

On a strip of concrete that juts out into the sea, a person wearing a red sparkly jacket stands tall with their arms stretched up and twists around to face the camera

Lisa Freeman, still from Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor, 2022, image courtesy of the artist

Still from a video of a performance on a stony beach. Two young adults with light skin wear a mix of dark and bright clothing. The person on the right is wearing a sporty beige zip-up top and navy tracksuit pants with bright yellow zips. The person on the left is wearing a dark pin-striped suit jacket, black knee pads, and black Adidas shorts with the Addidas logo in bright neon yellow. They are seated back to back, leaning into each other, on a long piece of concrete at the seashore. They each rest their head backward on the other person's shoulder and have their eyes closed and mouths open, immersed in the moment. The person on the right-hand side has short, dark curly hair, and the person on the left has wet fair hair. The sea behind is grey.

Lisa Freeman, still from Slipped, Fell and Smacked My Face off The Dance Floor, 2022, image courtesy of the artist



Supporting and Exhibiting Artists' and Experimental Moving Image in association with LUX, the Irish Film Institute and Temple Bar Gallery + Studios. Supported by the Arts Council.