On Display

This past Sunday we had the unexpected pleasure of seeing ON DISPLAY/RESTON - part art performance, part art installation, part dance.

Artists, seen in the photos in all white, positioned themselves about 10 - 20 ft. apart from each other throughout the park in Reston (Virginia) Town Center. Each artist moved slowly, holding certain poses for a minute or more, responding in movement to the other artists within their field of vision. It was open-ended, almost like dance in slow motion.

Spectators were encouraged to join and of course children did...because children "get it" and don't care who's watching. Yay for children!

The most interesting part for me was that about half of the artist were disabled and either in wheelchairs or using some walking support. The sign at the entrance to the park provided further background...

"ON DISPLAY is a deconstructed art exhibit/fashion show - a commentary on the body as spectacle and society's obsession with body image. People in the disability, performance 

and fashion world are often stared at and objectified in their daily lives.

Reverting the gaze is integral to disability culture. In this installation, the performers 

have the power to choose what they do or do not reveal, giving them control 

over a personal journey that cannot help but be affect by an audience. 

The tenuous and complex relationship between viewer and viewed that exists in 

performative work also permeates everyday life for people who are different in some 

physical way, and hence draws attention to them whether they want it or not."