From left, Allison Cobb, a native to Los Alamos, artist Yukiyo Kawano and Butoh choreographer Meshi Chavez receive a rousing applause at the conclusion of their performance art piece, Suspended Moment. The performance was Sunday afternoon, the final day of Sciencefest, in Fuller Lodge. According to the the group’s website, https://igg.me/at/suspendedmoment, the project started out as a solo piece but was augmented over the past two years. It includes a large sculpture of the nuclear bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II as well as music, poetry and choreography. Kawano created the sculpture with kimonos that belonged to her grandmother, who lived in Hiroshima during World War II and survived the war. Cobb wrote the poetry, Chavez choreographed the Butoh dance, a Japanese dance form that emerged post World War II, and Lisa DeGrace provided music to the piece. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
A group of the artists from Portland, Ore., involved in the performance art piece, Suspended Moment, take questions from the audience at the performance’s conclusion. They explained that this is the third time they have peformed the piece. They had previously taken the show to Hanford, Wash., which also has a history in nuclear production. Every time they perform it, the artists explained, a new piece is incorporated. ‘It will just constantly build,’ Lisa DeGrace, right, said. DeGrace provided music to the piece. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
A large sculpture signifying the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was featured prominently in Suspended Moment. The sculpture was made from kimonos belonging to artist Yukiyo Kawano’s, second from the left, grandmother who lived in Hiroshima during World War II and survived the war. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Butoh choreographer Meshi Chavez, middle left, discusses his performance at the end Suspended Moment. He explained he tried to incorporate daily gestures into his dance and explained his choreography is not set in stone, adding that a lot of his movements hadn’t happened in previous shows. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
It was a full house Sunday afternoon at Fuller Lodge. Every chair was filled to view the performance art piece, Suspended Moment. Los Alamos History Museum Director Judith Stauber explained that Suspended Moment was scheduled on the anniversary of the Trinity Test which happened to fall on Sciencfest this year. She said, ‘The artist approached me after hearing about the Los Alamos/Japan Project (LA/JP) that I founded last year. FYI, the LA/JP is building a bridge of understanding between Los Alamos, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki.’ Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com