Katina Bitsicas + Rachel Strickland Artist Talk

Video artist Katina Bitsicas and dancer Rachel Strickland will present a virtual artist talk about their collaboration on the installation “Blood Meal”. The talk will be Monday, January 29th, at 12:30pm, on Zoom and is open to all the UNCW campus. The talk is co-sponsored by Fried Fruit Gallery + the IFML.

“Blood Meal” is currently on display at Fried Fruit Gallery. The show runs from Jan 12 - Feb 19, 2024.

The collaborative multimedia performance, Blood Meal, illustrates the lifecycle of an organism by bringing the grotesqueries of organic development into focus. As a cluster of organisms slowly coagulate into an amorphous whole, the projection and audio swell to reveal a life form within the light of the circular projection. A series of articulate and pointed movements conjure a recognizable creature, emerging from the fabric womb. Punctuated by percussive events of trauma and growth, the performance escalates into a crescendo of vitality. The apex of the life form is short-lived, with its primary function complete. The creature fades into the seasonal tide without fanfare. A brief period of mourning holds space for the loss that occurred. The performance concludes on a breath, an omen for future cycles. The body consumes itself to multiply, achieving immortality paradoxically within its demise.

Created and Performed by Katina Bitsicas and Rachel Strickland.