For the final instalment of Sam Rolfes’ Fact residency, he takes us on a whistle stop tour of three of his most important collaborative performances.
Throughout our time exploring the work of Sam Rolfes we’ve caught glimpses of a wellspring of seemingly boundless chaotic energy. Over three intense sessions playing through his deranged VR experience, as well as a bananas nu-metal and gabber turntabalist Fact mix from his musical alias DJ Fuck, he has demonstrated the incredible range and scale of his practice. After two weeks immersed in his world we definitely need to get some sleep, we can’t imagine how Sam feels.
In our final session we’re guided through three of his most important collaborative performances, moving from his show with Justin Talplacido Shoulder, aka Phasmahammer, and Sharp Veins at MoMA, to his collaboration with performance artist Emil Bognar-Nasdor and Marshstepper at Dark Mofo and finally concluding with his performance with dancer Raymond Pinto at Berlin Atonal.
Centring around the image of an infernal lake house, Sam puts every element of his digital palette together, constructing coherent scenes within which he can freely move and improvise, guiding the flow of his visuals with motion capture choreography. By building out tight narrative structure around his virtual performance space, he is able to instantly locate himself within intricate and complex scenarios, world-building on the fly as he guides his audience through each step of the process.
In these three performances, we witness when Sam pulls another performer into these worlds, going back and forth in sensual improv games that play out on both a physical and virtual stage. Sam further investigates the mechanics of a body, incorporating combined physicality into his aesthetic practice, stretching the boundaries of physical interaction into new, mutant forms.
For more information about Sam Rolfes and his work you can follow him on Instagram.
On September 22 Fact and Lunchmeat Festival will present a 360˚, online VR experience with Sam Rolfes. For more information and tickets, check out the event on Facebook.
Watch next: Sam Rolfes Presents – Stage Three – Enter The Puppets
