One of the most memorable parts of The O.P.E.N, the prequel to the Singapore International Festival of Arts, was French fashion historian Olivier Saillard’s performance “Models Never Talk”. Staged at 72-13 on a white set that looked like a fashion photo shoot, it featured seven fashion models – namely Christine Bergstrom, Axelle Doue, Charlotte Flossaut, Claudia Huidobro, Anne Rohart, Violeta Sanchez and Amalia Vairelli – attired in black body suits. The ladies sat on, in front of and next to the five identical chairs brought in by stage managers, striking poses, then taking turns to walk downstage to recount their recollections of certain dresses, the memories of which had remained imprinted on their bodies and minds long after they first modelled them in the 1980s and ’90s.
Without the actual clothes, their well-chosen words – of note is that almost all the models were not speaking in their mother tongues – gracefully delivered anecdotes about these outfits. The pace was unhurried, the hand gestures every bit as precise as those in dance choreography, and the delight in the telling, frequently with humour, not only made those clothes come alive in our imagination, but also the relevant people, place and time. One model, for example, explained how it was so difficult for her to walk in a tightly draped dress designed by fashion icon Madame Gres that she had to keep kicking the dress – a physical movement that later became her signature on the catwalk.
The image painted by their verbal and non-verbal languages was so clear and the impressions so strong that the last scene when each of them showed a photograph of themselves in those particular dresses and recreated the same pose seemed somewhat redundant.
The performance was not for the sake of nostalgia, though, as the experience reminded us that the models are also behind the success of these dresses and designers. It also reconfirmed that models are performers who can express themselves verbally as well as physically, without having to be cast in reality-TV-cum-soap-operas like “The Face”. Of course, once on stage, they’re performing and presenting to us only the parts of themselves they want us to see. Catching a glimpse of them smoking cigarettes outside the stage door before the show allowed a brief look into their real lives.
Much credit is due to Saillard, who is the director of the Paris Galliera, “Models Never Talk” was so alluring that it grasped my full attention for an entire hour, notwithstanding its monotonous pace. Come to think of it, I’ve reached a certain age when I much prefer works that are simple and clear to those that are overfilled with words and images.
I also adhere more to the notion that less is more and I still believe that we go to the theatre to experience what we cannot experience elsewhere.
Once again, The O.P.E.N. lived up to the meaning of its acronyms—open, participate, engage and negotiate—and the slogan “Be open to the individual in you” which encourages different interpretations. With its theme-oriented curation scheme, The O.P.E.N. effectively prepared the audience for the upcoming main festival SIFA with this year’s theme of potentialities.
And that’s not just a big word used by academics but one which duly explains a major characteristic of contemporary arts – that the future is indeed wide open.
Not long to wait
– Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2016 begins August 11 and runs until September 17 at various venues.
– Admission prices range from free to SGD 80 (20-per-cent discount for students and seniors).
For reservation and more details, visit www.SIFA.sg.
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.