Roaming across the past, present and future, Delicate Instruments of Engagement explores the disappearance of boundaries between politics and pop culture in contemporary societies. 

The artist re-mediates images and events that have become icons of our time. The performance is a mix of internet memes, important events in pop culture, images, situations and political speeches through which Pirici examines the history of art and politics. The elements include Rembrandt’s painting The Abduction of Europa, Salvador Allende’s last speech, George Michael’s hit Freedom ’90, the Google search engine, and the John Travolta meme.  

Examining the political gestures of our time, the performance raises questions about agency and power, highlighting the interplay between systems of classification and control. 

Viewing instructions

The performance has no real beginning or end, you can watch as long as you like. The audience is also free to move in the exhibition space where the work is performed. 

Alexandra Pirici

Alexandra Pirici is a Romanian artist and choreographer and one of the leading figures of contemporary performance art. The themes addressed in her works include history, the structures of invisible power, and the construction of reality by the spread of popular culture. The form and content of her work revolves around an understanding of history as a contested collection of constantly reconfigured narratives.