What have we done for you?

2018 | Performance with army uniform and various objects | Performance: 15 – 30 min | Photos: Hervé Veronese – Centre Pompidou, Paris

Performance recording
Documentation ↓
What have we done for you? is a 15 to 30 minute performance in which the artist, dressed as a soldier in a British camouflage military uniform, alternates between washing and having his feet washed by an invisible entity on either side of a wooden bench. The performance gradually unfolds into a series of spontaneous and peculiar actions involving leather shoes, socks, and various other objects. On closer observation, the repeated pairing of objects, two basins, two jugs, two towels, two soaps, and two saucers, mirrors the work’s central tension between self and other, power and submission, where roles remain fluid rather than fixed. The single wooden bench functions as a shifting border, walked upon, straddled, and repositioned, marking a fragile line between opposing sides that is continually crossed and unsettled. The performance examines political dominance and submission, the dynamics of self and other, and the shifting relationships between Soldier, Civilian, and State.

This performance is developed from Baptist Coelho’s previous performance, “What have I done to you?”, 2011. It was inspired by a First World War photograph, in which an Indian soldier washes his feet as a German sentry observes him at the Prisoner of War (POW) Camp in Wünsdorf, Germany. On 16th February 2018, What have we done for you?, was first realised as part of a group exhibition’s programme, Mémoires des Futurs Modernités Indiennes at Gallery 0, Centre Pompidou, Paris. The exhibition was curated by Catherine David and the performance was produced and facilitated by Centre Pompidou.