ARTISTS STATEMENT
Tiny Precious Objects is an ongoing collaborative performance exploring the exuberance and banality of motherhood. We, Christine Shallenberg and Aurora Tabar, are makers and mothers of young children. Via conversations in the studio, movement-based improvisation, and writing, we journey to understand ourselves and how motherhood has altered the state of our lives. What do we and other mothers need to feel whole? How can mothering itself be a radical act that provides love, nurturing, and a sense of interconnectedness with others? Our sources of inspiration include mothering practices of wild animals, everyday gestures of caregiving, and stories from our daily lives. The work included in $acred Motherhood is a 8-minute looped video of one section of the performance currently in development. This video includes sound by Olivia Block and video documentation by Ji Yang.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Aurora Tabar is a Chicago-based performance artist, occupational therapist, and multi-tasking mom. She creates live performances and public actions that meld contemporary dance forms with research, storytelling, and audience participation. She wonders how the experience of live art can be a catalyst for healing. From 2018-2020 she facilitated The Existential Coat Check, an interactive popup booth that invited participants to shed their psychic baggage via writing and drawing activities at venues across the midwest. Her last evening length performance, Tiny Vibrating Strings, explored the life of Mileva Maric, Einstein’s first wife, whose contributions to the field of theoretical physics were overshadowed by her domineering spouse. Aurora has presented solo and collaborative performances in Chicago at Links Hall, Elastic Arts, High Concept Laboratories, Prop Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, and Roman Susan Gallery, and nationally at Movement Research (NY).
Christine Shallenberg is a teaching artist and mom. Her work ranges in mode from electronic textiles to light and sound installations to participatory choreographies for audiences (and sometimes her child). Her long-time collaboration with Jenn Cooper, JCSpaceRadio, engaged in a casually critical dialogue with frequencies through workshops, performances and interactive installations. Her work has been seen at Links Hall, High Concept Laboratories, Experimental Sound Studio, Hume Gallery, Tritriangle and No Nation in Chicago, as well as Movement Research, Galapagos Art Center, Williamsburg Arts Nexus, and Triskelion Arts in NYC. She also worked as the Lighting Designer for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for whom she designed Second Hand, Antic Meet, Nearly 902 and more than 30 unique Event performances seen around the world. She continues to design for performance with Every house has a door.
artist’s website
artist’s website
© Christine Shallenberg and Aurora Tabar