Theatreworks 2008. Photography Vivian Lee and Sam James
“A Curiously Tender Voyeurism…” Glasgow Herald
Shapes of Sleep is both a sculptural installation and an eight-hour
live durational performance based on video footage of sleeping.
For eight hours five live performers attempt to physically
recreate the movements of sleep. Through sheer exhaustion they themselves
sometimes fall asleep, blurring the boundaries
between fiction and authenticity – choreographed and everyday slumber.
Shapes of Sleep was created by Deborah Pollard
during a research and development collaboration between Deborah
and Indonesian visual artist Regina Bimadona in 2003.
The work has been presented in Sydney Australia, Glasgow
Bristol and Manchester in the UK and Singapore.
“A Curiously Tender Voyeurism…” Glasgow Herald
“The soft light throws shadows on silk pyjamas; arms and legs shift languidly. By the final hour, there is a haze to the space; it even smells of people sleeping. At the end of a hectic festival, I cannot imagine a more effective oasis of tranquillity.” RealTime issue #72 April-May 2006
Virtually Live Performance 