Bodies meet, mediated by physical barriers and noises, in a persistent and frustrated attempt to connect.

This scene, which could refer to conversations in messaging apps or to social media exchanges, is part of the show entitled Topologías Para Cuerpos Infinitamente Inconquistables (Topologies for Infinitely Unconquerable Bodies), by the Argentine director Edgardo Mercado. Through a visual and physical experience, the performance offers a candid look at how people exchange information these days.

In a warehouse located in the downtown area of Santos, a clear plastic tarp is installed on the floor, with its edges pinned down to the ground, forming a rectangle. As soon as air is pumped into it, performers penetrate the space between the ground and the plastic and their bodies begin to move, their friction with the material making distinct sounds. The audience and other performers are allowed to enter the space and interact with those who are close, but on the other side of the plastic.

At first, their attempt to connect is limited to simple touches. Curious looks, uncertainty as to how to interact, hugs, rejection and even objectification all come up during the performance. When a large burst of air is injected, the performers on the floor start thrashing around, pushing away whoever is “on the other side”. Soon everything is calm again and microphones are placed over those “down below”, who appear exhausted, nearly lifeless.  

Sweat beads form on their bodies as no air is being pumped in. The minutes seem longer, and the fragile plastic that separates the bodies appears to be impenetrable.

Dance, contact and anguish, always blocked by the artificiality of plastic, force audience members and performers to take part in this topology – which, in mathematics, is the study of the geometric properties of a body. In Mercado’s performance, it’s much more than that.

Watch a video of the performance, featuring an interview with the director.

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Alberto Cerri and Anderson Carvalho
Sesc Online Editors