Martin O’Brien

Work for Live Art Denmark
2014: “Breathe for me”, Samtalekøkken at “It’s about time”, Dansehallerne

Breathe for me
Martin showed the three hour durational piece “Breathe for me” as part of our Samtalekøkken at “It is about time” at Dansehallerne. “Breathe for Me” considers the nature of the regulated chronically ill body. It began with Martin cutting the shape of lungs onto his chest and performing physiotherapy in order to cough mucus into thirty specimen jars which adorn the edges of the catwalk. This was followed by a number of actions moving up and down a catwalk: wearing a re-breathe hood (BDSM mask for breath restriction), crawling with thirty needles pierced into his stomach, plunging his head into a vat of green gunge. It ended with Martin sat at one end of the catwalk, exhausted and stained green from the gunge, breathing heavily into a medical breathing mask.

About the Artist
Martin’s work considers existence with a severe chronic illness within our contemporary situation. Martin suffers from cystic fibrosis and his practice uses physical endurance, hardship and pain based practices to challenge common representations of illness and examine what it means to be born with a life threatening disease. His work is an act of resistance to illness, an attempt at claiming agency and a celebration of his body. Martin loves his body and his work is a form of sufferance in order to survive.

Here is a link to Martin’s Facebook page.