After experiencing what Experiential came to be, My initial response is that of overwhelming catharsis. There was an incredible amount of research and experimentation that culminated into the piece we presented in our 4 hour instillation, and to see the effect it had on the spectators, made the whole process worthwhile. When we decided to piece together these elements into one space, we had no way of knowing how well the collaboration would work and whether it would have any effect on our audience. I believe this to be my greatest fear for the piece, that the months of research would have no effect, a wasted opportunity. Yet after feedback, it seems like that was not to be the case.
Everyone who entered the space responded well, either that their mood had been improved, enhanced or influenced entirely by their experience in the room. Personally, I remained in the space for the entire duration of the performance, acting like a mood puppet master and attempting to influence those in the space by controlling and contrasting music to the mood of the room to create different effects on the participants.
I found the overall changing atmosphere of the space to be the most crucial part of the experience, people could come in at one point and feel happy and exhilarated then come back an hour later and be filled with sadness by the same things. It was this shared experience that created such a contrast, and I find that effect to be the most interesting part of the piece. The shared explosion of moods and emotions seemed to amplify the feelings that people were experiencing, and this mood effected me, as although I was above the performance, I jumped when I heard plates smashing and I laughed when I heard the childish giggles in the colour explosion section, I cried to sad songs playing against the images of death and felt a calm release while listening to classical music and seeing others lying around doing the same. I felt the moods that were being projected out of the space, like I was leeching the emotions of the others there. It was this connection between everyone and all their feelings at once that left me with a sense of pride, and emptiness, as though I had no emotions left to feel, but that was the most satisfying part to the day, the build up and then release of everything That was my true experience – everything and nothing, and it was a powerful feeling, one that I am still recalling now to feel at peace.
I feel this piece has so many places it can go, and that it should go there – to its farthest limits for, as Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience” and to know all we can about mood and therefore one another will always be a fascinating goal to strive for, in whatever context that occurs.