Carrion

Here is a big question to ponder: what does it mean to be human when the rate of destruction on the planet is rapidly redefining the laws of nature? Enter Carrion, a shape-shifting, luminous, post-human creature who wanders an archaeological site, discovering forgotten objects and deciphering a language from a world lost. Playing at Arts House till Saturday, 30 June, Carrion is exceptional, magnetising and above all, a visual spectacle ahead of its time. 

The 60-minute performance is set in a post-apocalyptic world devoid of nature, light and human chaos. Chilling music engulfs the darkened space as a mysterious figure emerges from a futuristic cocoon. It is at this point we meet Carrion who proceeds to survey the manmade ecosystem with wonder-filled curiosity. With every move, Carrion learns more, shape-shifting into multiple forms while searching for answers from a past civilisation. 

Directed and performed by Justin Shoulder, Carrion invites you to take a fantastical, dreamlike journey where human flesh, costume and robo-primordial aesthetics meld into a unique and stunning creation. Credit must be given to Shoulder’s extraordinary vision, commitment and physicality, which was evident throughout the entire masterpiece. Midway through the performance, the backdrop descends and transforms into a breathing entity which Carrion explores.

In an age of excess, technology and mass-production, Carrion begs the question of what the future could hold. Between you and I, android–human life never looked better. 

Carrion 
Arts House, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Till Saturday, 30 June 2018
artshouse.com.au/events/carrion