Series:

Performance In Situ

Free tags:

Enterrement

Obscurité

Souterrain

Creator:

Bruno Mendonça

Performer:

Bruno Mendonça

Witness:

Agence France Presse (AFP)

Antoine Plutino

Bibliographical sources:

in Bruno Mendonça, Bibliothèques éphémères, Editions de l'Ormaie, 2002
in L'acte pour l'art, Arnaud Labelle-Rojoux, Al Dante, 1988

Producer:

Bruno Mendonça

Website:

http://bruno-mendonca.com

Occurence:

Places:

Grotte de l'Hermitte

Starting date:

1976

76 heures

Topology:

in the countryside/village

Organization:

Info Artitudes

Background:

Following the exhibition at Antoine Plutino’s, innkeeper in Saint-Jeannet.

Producer:

Antoine Plutino

Adress:

grotte

Saint-Jeannet

France

1<sup>ère</sup> partie des 9 heures d'enregistrement sur bande magnétique, retraçant les 76 heures de performance.

1976

Synopsis / Description:

1ère partie des 9 heures d'enregistrement sur bande magnétique, retraçant les 76 heures de performance.

MENDON

Objets:

9 dessins de format raisin

Technique description référence:

9 dessins de format raisin

65 x 50 cm

Bruno Mendonça | trace de la performance "Enterrement", 1976 | © Bruno Mendonça | courtesy de l'artiste

9 peintures de format 15F

Technique description référence:

9 peintures de format 15F

65 x 54 cm

Documents:

Info Artitudes

Type:

Presse

Technique description référence:

Info Artitudes

Nice Matin

Type:

Presse

Technique description référence:

Nice Matin

Dessin préparatoire

Type:

Manuscrit

Technique description référence:

Dessin préparatoire

MENDON

Dessins de repérage

Type:

Manuscrit

Technique description référence:

Dessins de repérage

MENDON

Plans d'installation

Type:

Manuscrit

Technique description référence:

Plans d'installation

MENDON

Description:

In a Saint-Jeannet cave, during 76 hours, 9 paintings were achieved (size 15F), 9 writings/drawings and nine hours of recorded gestures, pictures, crayonnages, Rotring pen linings on Vélin d’Arches paper (65 x 50 cm), chant, text, all of which are sometimes mixed, sometimes separated to produce sounds that are discovered at the exit, like the paintings and drawings.
Based on the absence of light, this experiment was to work in total darkness. Tools, bags and buckets were equipped with Braille labels to discern an H pencil from a 3B pencil. The set squares, compasses, allowed me to position myself on the canvas and on the surface where liquids (coffee, alcohol, wine) have been set and have lived their life (movements, drippings, spillings).
The paintings were done with three sands (white, yellow, red) associated with black oil painting. All carefully mixed. Scrapers and palette knives allowed me to work in the dark with songs, more for the warming up than for the performer’s virtuosity!
The drawings were made with a HB and B base on which came to be modeled horizontal and vertical writings, either in pencil H or with a Rotring.
Some drawings only consist of words splashed like some sonic poetry. The meeting of verticality and horizontality give 2 writings/drawings culminating in a series between 1977 and 1983 in which the word fusion is repeated, interplayed over16 million times in 65 x 50 cm and 110 x 75 cm formats. The nine soundtracks are the recordings of the working sessions. A break of about an hour has been taken during these 76 hours.
Some CRS, sent by the Prefect, alerted by a newspaper article, made me a little surprise visit, and finished my coffee.
The food was stored in circles behind my writing/painting area: breakfasts, lunches and dinners being taken at random, since I had no light and no watch.
The economy of means, the concentration, the controlling of movements astounded quite a few people, but the conditioning had allowed me to achieve great pieces.
These pieces were never displayed.

Bruno Mendonça