PERFORMANCE

Breathing Silence

Concept and performance by Louise McKnoulty (LOUV) featuring guests Mayari and Aphir

Performed at Nexus Performance Gathering event by Maggz Zhu at Kings Artist Run, Melbourne, AU

Breathing Silence explores the tension between isolation and inter-connection transforming isolated grieving into communal healing through silence, eye contact, breath, and solitary somatic practices that expand over time to invite the audience in. LOUV begins alone in stillness breathing deeply in the corner of the gallery obscured from sight. She begins to move slowly through the space holding the gaze of individual audience members sharing a long held window of presence. She circles the stage with breath eventually evolving to somatic vocalisation and over time including two other singers who walk that same path circling the stage with her building layers of harmony erupting into communal song and finally the release of silence.

You don’t heal grief by running. You heal grief by being with it… by staying… day after day, standing in the nothingness, in the emptiness of loss.

What does loss create? Pain.
But… once you face pain, you create space.
And from there arises the invitation:
to fill that space with presence.

Can we share in that presence and offer it to one another?

Breathing Silence Testimonals

“I didn’t even realise I needed so much space but it opened up all this space for me to feel everything, I felt my insides rip open but in a good way.” 

“The performance was an invitation into a shared presence of an intense kind. First, slightly confronting; silence, eye contact, the lack of separation between audience and performer. Then came comfort. The connection you established with us brought forward a collective release of energy and emotion. Even for those not singing and sighing. I loved how you highlighted two simple things: eye contact and the human voice in isolation. Something almost all of us share regularly but rarely consider how impactful they are when focussed on exclusively.” - Lachlan Purcell  

"Being present with the work felt alluring but unsettling; the performer engaging with audience through an intense sacred presence. The space that would usually be full of energy, instead replaced with a slow procession of figures moving like ghosts. The central performer stopping to invite individuals in the audience into a vivid awareness of the emotions on display by locking eyes with them and holding their attention. This was backed by live chanting that felt ominous and mournful. While watching I felt something deep inside me was being pulled apart, like a powerful force was slowly tearing through me. There was a presence in the space that felt infectious." - Jesse King

LOUV (Live) feat. MXMars

(Performed at The Curtain for the Hunger Digital Launch Party, Melbourne, AU)


LOUV (Live) feat. Max Lawrence

(Performed at Caxtus Room, Melbourne, AU)

Breathing Silence explores the tension between isolation and inter-connection transforming isolated grieving into communal healing through silence, eye contact, breath, and solitary somatic practices that expand over time to invite the audience in. LOUV begins alone in stillness breathing deeply in the corner. She begins to move through the space holding the gaze of individual audience members coming close enough for them to hear her breathing. Sharing a long held window of instimacy. She circles the stage with breath eventually evolving to vocalisation and over time including two other singers who walk that same path with her building layers of harmony erupting into communal song and finally the release of silence.

PERFORMANCES (◯Δ◯∥)

Max Lawrence Farewell Show - Cactus Room

2024

Hunger Digital Launch Party - The Curtain

Olza Single Launch - Gasometer

2023

Provenance Catalogue Launch

Dogi Katz Launch - Nighthawks

2022

Melbourne Music Week - Hot Fem Summer - The Toff

Provenance Collective Catalogue Launch - Colour Club

Aphir - Negative Space/Republic of Paradise Launch Show - Colour Club

Fem Fantasy Loop Bar - Show 1 (SOLD OUT)

Fem Fantasy Loop Bar - Show 2 (SOLD OUT)

2021


Midsumma Festival Common Rooms (SOLD OUT)

Fem Fantasy - Virtual Stream

Downstream II - Virtual Stream

2020

Fem Fantasy: Business as Usual - Horse Bazaar

Fem Fantasy: Electric Water - Horse Bazaar

Fem Fantasy - Horse Bazaar

Wheels in Motion Festival

2019

(◯Δ◯∥)

Nexus Gathering - Kings Artist Run

2025

Melbourne Music Week Technicolour Wonderland

2018

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