Sunday, March 11, 2012

Melati Suryodarmo performs the Butter Dance

20 blocks of butter in a square on the black carpet. Melati Suryodarmo enters the space, dressed in a tight black dress and red high heels. She steps on the pieces of butter. She starts to dance to the sound of Indonesian shamanistic drums.

She dances and falls, hitting the floor hard, rising, and continuously being on the verge of standing, slipping and falling in the butter. Suryodarmo then rises one last time, covered in butter, and leaves the space.


YouTube link.

6 comments:

shak said...

I truly wish to say something about this, but can't pinpoint exactly how to express myself.

xoxoxoBruce said...

In the running for the most WTF YouTube ever.

Ratz said...

I fear at some point in the past she's hit the floor, hard, with her head. That's my only explanation.

I went to the Tate Modern a couple of years back and ran across some ladies dressed as cleaners brushing for a minute, then dropping to the floor to do pushups whilst shouting "1,2,3,4!" then repeat. My philistine reaction to this art? I said "you've missed a spot".

Anonymous said...

waste of butter IMHO

SteveC said...

I usually don't get performance art. This no exception. Melati was obviously influenced by the ancient Austrian lard polka.

Anonymous said...

I've watched this before, and it's painful. You just want her to give up.