The Joy of Loss

While you can't control the cards you're dealt, you can control how you approach the aftermath.
Emma Greenbury
September 13, 2011

Overview

It's hard to imagine that there's a positive aspect to losing someone or something you care about, but with shows like The Joy of Loss, there might be a glimmer of hope for those who have dealt with the ultimate pain.

Not unlike the four stages of grief, The Joy of Loss looks at six gestures of loss via multi-disciplinary installations. There is fire, air and infrasonic, eight-channel surround sound, live dance and live music installations, with the finale being interviews conducted in silence. This introspective look at a personal topic is lead by artist David Sudmalis, whose drive for this project was the notion that loss is a new starting point, that is, the moment of departure. These interconnected gestures represent the journey through which we must pass: memory, experience, emotion and physicality.

We are losers by nature, we would learn nothing if we didn't grow from our losses. Hell, our twenties are just one big lose-fest! While you can't control the cards you're dealt, you can control how you approach the aftermath.

Watch as sound, image, performance, space, metaphor, language, and silence come together to forge a shared understanding of loss and how its cathartic qualities can ultimately bring joy.

Image credit: The Joy of Loss

Information

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