In search of a Backdoor

Background Through ethnographic artistic research this work employs the logics of autoethnography and myth to evoke new conclusions. Philosopher Ernst Bloch (2000) declared that ‘all given existence and being itself has utopian margins which surround actuality with real and objective possibility’. It is with the ‘vertical investigations’ of Maya Deren (1946) and the distinctive allegories in the performance work of Lindsay Seers (2016) which constructs nonlinear narratives commenting on the imperialism’s impact on established myths. Contribution ‘In search of a Backdoor' was shown as a continuous 30 min video. It depicted a western fairytale classic, with a ‘vagrant’ amongst Haw Par Villa (an oriental Disneyland). Giant dioramas and sculptures depicted scenes from folklore, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism. The work aimed to intervene in the ‘restrained knowledge production’ in public space by the Singapore Governmental media authority. Significance The work was shown at Ten Days on the Island, a highly regarded international arts biennial curated by Victor Manuel Medrano-Bonilla who sought to explore the mysteries and powers embodied in the customs of ‘crossroads’. Recognized by discipline peers as helping to shape the discipline ‘Mauro-Flude has produced a beautiful, simple work… a portal to a place where there is slippage between mundane existence and somewhere else. Her video performance captures this, giving the work a surreal, vibrant oddness. The exhibition received widespread media coverage including The Mercury and Channel 7 News.