In this episode of Open Studios, Asia is joined by Lynn Lu. Lynn is an artist who embraces participation and collaboration in her performances, making space for the development of intimacy and connections with others that the constraints and isolating nature of our world don’t typically allow for.
Building upon strategies introduced by artists like Marina Abramović and Valie Export, Lynn devises performances that enable audiences to determine the content and outcome of her work (2:16).
Asia and Lynn discuss how trust and consent operate in her interactive performances (3:06) and Lynn mentions a time an audience member withdrew consent (5:42).
The two later discuss strawberrymilkbath, one of Lynn's earliest performances (09:21). In this piece, Lynn bathed in a tub filled with strawberry milk and invited audiences to drink her bathwater.
Asia and Lynn then reflect on the ways that Lynn's work promotes empathy and understanding, and Lynn shares her hope of building resonant relationships through her art (14:13).
In many performances, Lynn has encouraged participants to share extremely private memories or secrets anonymously. In one such performance at the Tate Modern in 2010, Lynn held up a sign that read "Free Secrets. Take one and/or leave one" (19:38). After collecting secrets and confessions across a number of years, Lynn thinks about what it has meant for her to hold onto so many strangers' stories (21:20).
Towards the end of the conversation, Lynn shares what she has learned about herself from her audiences over the years (24:12). After realizing that many view her as non-threatening, Lynn decided to use the assumptions that people make about her to her advantage in performances (27:04).
Finally, Lynn reveals details about one of her latest projects, which will focus on perimenopause and menopause (31:12).
Follow Lynn Lu on Instagram @lululotte and online at lynnlu.info
This podcast is produced and edited by Asia Stewart.
Find Asia online @asiastewart and @performvu