When Chloë Sevigny Performed on a Floating Barge in the Greek Waters

Mar 2

Doug Aitken, Black Mirror, 2011 (still).

Chloë Sevigny is a figure who does not need much of an introduction, being one of the frequently referenced and beloved cult personalities in contemporary culture and online. Sevigny’s eclectic and liberating individuality has given her a spot among the appreciated names in the digital realm that is exemplary of staying authentic to their own merits. In times when individuality appears to be gradually fading, due to the pressure of conformity to constantly secure digital relevance and the social media algorithms which have created a trend of comparison and replication, Sevigny’s understanding of experimental and artistic integrity, and her risk-taking singularity in her professional path feel refreshing and stand out as the key reasons why she continues to be admired.

Throughout her career, the actress has reached almost every corner of popular and alternative culture. It is widely known that her influence extends beyond acting into fashion—her status as a style muse and the bridal looks that have been constantly reposted on aesthetic Tumblr blogs and inspo accounts of X (formerly Twitter). As well as music: from her early-career appearance in Sonic Youth’s 1992 Sugar Kane music video to her recent cameo in Charli XCX’s club hit 360. Yet Chloë Sevigny’s collaborations within the contemporary art world tend to go unnoticed when discussing her versatility.

Chloë Sevigny’s partnership with Doug Aitken in Black Mirror (2011) is a contemporary take on the state of transience and digital alienation. Both the film installation and live performance iterations follow Sevigny’s character—a nameless, restless traveler traversing a borderless and hyper-connected world. The structure of the story is altered into fragments, shifting perspectives from a firm reality with an uncanny, non-linear rhythm intensified by the use of drums. As Aitken’s lens frenziedly follows Sevigny in action, Black Mirror observes the concepts of modern dislocation/constant relocation and the aimless demand to always stay engaged in performativity. Without a set final destination, Sevigny moves in a disorderly fashion, passing through these generic and uninhabited spaces that fundamentally exist to facilitate human travel, places of no necessary histories except their liminal quality, which may as well look like anywhere.

“Caught in motion. Detained for a day. Customs, security, delay." She recites as the sound of the pulsing music muffles over her voice. In the live performance, Sevigny shares the stage with gospel singers, pole dancers, musicians, and a whipper. Situated on a barge during sunset hour, the stage is centered around a metal frame and encircled by three 5-channel synchronized screens. Sevigny simultaneously embodies her restless protagonist in real time. Next to her performing to an intimate audience, the live score of percussionists and rock instrumentalists pick up an energetic pace against the changing backdrop of water and sky.

All these elements of the film and performance immediately evoke a familiar sensation, the liminal experience of drifting through transit hubs, that is typified by, but not limited to hotel lobbies, waiting areas, airports, and open roads. Spaces we've all passed through but never truly absorbed.

This article summarizes the characteristics of the strange phenomena that has now become a part of internet culture as:

Liminal space is the uncertain transition between where you've been and where you're going physically, emotionally, or metaphorically. To be in a liminal space means to be on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet. The word "liminal" comes from the Latin word “limen,” which means threshold.

However, the notion of liminal spaces is not new. This phenomenon, which has gained traction through internet subcultures and modern architectural ruins, aligns with the concept of 'non-places,' a theory by anthropologist Marc Augé, which describes spaces of transience where human interactions are impermanent, identities blur, and which inherently lack a sense of belonging. More importantly, these spaces echo the kind of stream-of-consciousness existence that foregrounds the modern human condition. This cumulative experience of mental detachment has become a defining feature of contemporary life. From my perspective, it feels like we are caught in a perpetual “waiting” mode. Not only do the current human relationships seem to be ruptured out of balance, but the collective emotional and mental state feels suspended and at unease, too. The global period of uncertainty has consequently positioned our psyches in limbo, somewhere on the brink of the unknown.