Emely Neu

This instalment of Out of Focus has inspired different ‘dedications’ I created in response to interviews I have conducted especially for OOF.  
 
Spending time is a recurring theme in my practice of Performative Interviews. It is a counter balance to the usual procedure of interviewing. I spend time crafting the situations, carving out new structures for a Performative Interview. I spend time with the interviewee and finally with the actual material, CAREfully chewing on it for a while. 
  
The interview is a microcosm. Its structure, underlying power struggles, language and reason for validity and popularity are revealing. Performative Interviews are a process – they are not composed of a definite, rigid structure. Instead, they unravel this microcosm and approach it with a matriarchal outlook.

For Out of Focus I wanted, therefore, to reimagine and reperform these conversations by focusing on the post-interview process. The dedications have been inspired by the encounters, and do not include the actual interview material.
 
I have approached the period of my OoF instalment as a residency, during which I will publish two dedications. Being a residency, I might decide to add, change or remove things from the project throughout its duration.

I have invited Hélène Cixous and Lucky Dragons to join me later on in the residency, and am looking forward to their contributions.

Emely Neu is a performer whose work revolves around interviewing as artistic practice. She began interviewing familiar strangers intuitively at the age of six, and has continued questioning the format ever since. With a background in acting and journalism, her work has been presented in both broadcast and print media. Her quest for initiating creative dialogues is manifested in the book Let’s Start A Pussy Riot (published by Rough Trade), which she curated in 2013.