Domino

The performance project D O M I N O explores the relationship between mental boundaries and their material counterparts. It begins with the premise that every socially imposed physical barrier—whether a fence, railing, strip of tape, or system used to organise space—is a manifestation of an existing order of thought. Boundaries exist first and foremost in our consciousness, materialising as instruments of control, regulation, and exclusion.

The performance installation attempts to symbolically disarm these mechanisms—not through an act of violence, but through humour, absurdity, and a playful engagement with convention. Laughter becomes a strategy of resistance against structures that define our behaviour and limit our sense of agency. From this perspective, humour is not an escape from reality, but a tool for reclaiming freedom of imagination and challenging what appears permanent and unquestionable.

At the centre of the work is a long row of metal crowd-control barriers—a widely recognised symbol of control over public space. The structure appears massive and impassable, yet it is brought down by a single, seemingly simple gesture. The DOMINANT structure proves surprisingly fragile when this gesture sets off a cathartic domino effect. It becomes a metaphor for a process in which the humorous subversion of an established rule can lead to the collapse of an entire system of constraints.

The project offers no definitive answers. Instead, it creates a liberating situation in which viewers are confronted with questions about the nature of boundaries and their own role in sustaining them. Do barriers truly exist, or do they function primarily because we consent to their existence? D O M I N O invites reflection on the possibility of reclaiming freedom through collective catharsis and a shift in perspective, showing that sometimes a single liberating gesture is enough for what once seemed impassable to lose its power.

Previous presentations of the project:

2024 — Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
2022 — San Servolo Island, Venice, the exhibition “Lunatics” during the 59th Venice Biennale