We are delighted to present Phillip McCrilly’s wet HEAT sweats without scent, a Platform Commission originally presented as part of the 40th edition of EVA International, Ireland’s Biennial of Contemporary Art.
Existing in a space somewhere between an undercover massage parlour the British Army set up in North Belfast in the 1970s, and a high camp adaptation of Nicolas Roeg’s Full Body Massage (1995), wet HEAT sweats without scent is a series of scripted one-on-one massage treatments with accompanying refreshments.
Originally presented for EVA in a boutique hotel spa in Limerick City, the performance is reimagined within the context of a Belfast hotel room. Tapping into the associations of hotels as transitory spaces of fleeting connection, the work maps a history of intimacy and vulnerability against the backdrop of sectarian conflict, awkwardly meandering the North’s Murder Triangle through horny hedgerows, and bespoke Orange Halls to speculate on potential forms of promiscuous care in the aftermath of ‘The Troubles’.
Taking the shape of a scripted massage treatment, there will be a limited number of spaces available. Participants will be chosen from an open call and will experience a consultation, back and shoulder massage and refreshments during the 45-minute experience.
To Register your interest, fill out the consultation form at wet-heat.com/register by 29 October.
You must be over 18 to take part.
Performed By Janie Doherty.
Photography and Video by Eslam Abd El Salam.
Art Direction & Design by Dee Morgan.
Phillip McCrilly is supported in this presentation of the work through the Outburst / Jerwood Arts Tongue + Heart Artist Development Programme, supported by Jerwood Arts.
EVENT INFORMATION
Age suitability: Strictly 18+
Duration: 45 mins
