Ecdysis is a scientific term describing the process by which reptiles shed their skin to allow for new growth. Taking inspiration from this otherworldly natural process, Cherine Fahd’s video installation brings together forty-four large-scale video portraits of women of different ages and walks of life. Each subject is engaged in an act of struggle and surrender with the artist, inviting us to consider what we are willing to let go of, and what we might become.
Luminously projected in a cavernous, darkened space at Carriageworks – Eveleigh’s railway workshop turned arts institution – the shedding of skin suggested by these portraits raises tensions between control and release, bringing us to the precipice of transformation. Each subject’s performance tells a different story spanning resistance and acceptance, tenderness and strength, authority and vulnerability.
Ecdysis is co-commissioned by resident company Performance Space and Carriageworks and is free to visit until January 30.
