By bringing these elements into the foreground, Samama forces the audience to reconsider their relationship with everyday materials and their own physical presence. 2. Structure of the Work
The performance emphasizes the literal feel of materials—the squeak of plastic against skin or the friction of a body against a white brick wall. 4. Historical Context & Performance Sites michal_samama_-_background_materials (Original)...
The work is rooted in the philosophy of , specifically the idea that "to be a body is to be tied to a world". By bringing these elements into the foreground, Samama
Explores the "mute surroundings" of a space. The performer interacts with the architecture to highlight its elusiveness. Plastic trash bags The performer interacts with the architecture to highlight
Background Materials is a hybrid event that combines two of Samama’s previous performance pieces into a single narrative arc: Core Material Action & Meaning The concrete wall
Reviewers from the New York Times and footage from Vimeo describe several defining features of the work: