Fragments, Women & Their Work, 2024. Digitized performance, live performance. Two-channel video installation. Color, sound. Music by David Lang ("Just (After Song of Songs)"). Monologue drawn from Stephen Adly Guirgis's "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." Headphones. 4:22 minutes.

Fragments is a performance piece offering a poignant exploration of grief and loss, aiming to illuminate the impact of generational trauma on innocent lives. Originally conceived and performed live within a gallery setting as part of the group exhibition Bending Light at Women & Their Work, it exists as both a site-specific live work and a digitized performance piece.

The work integrates powerful source material, featuring music by David Lang ("Just (After Song of Songs)") and a monologue drawn from Stephen Adly Guirgis's "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." In its gallery presentation, Fragments provided viewers with a unique and intimate experience where audiences could choose their level of engagement, opting to experience the performance in its entirety with all layered elements (music, subtitles, monologue) or to isolate specific components. This intentional design allowed for a form of self-censorship on the part of the viewer, mirroring the complex ways individuals often navigate difficult and sensitive topics, choosing how deeply to engage with raw human expression versus focusing solely on textual narrative.

A story about the intersection of performance and viewer agency, and how format can influence engagement with sensitive material. Fragments is about difficult emotions and layered narratives, but it’s also about what it means for an audience to curate their own experience of vulnerability.