We Always Carry Our Body. 2016. The National Gallery of Denmark

We Always Carry Our Body

Dupont has two bodies. One in flesh and blood and the other in brass.
She carries both of these bodies in her performance, creating a poetic and aesthetic expres-sion through the use of different materials. The use of the color ultramarine refers back to the Roman Empire where the Romans would cross the ocean to Persia to get hold of it. Ultra meaning “on the other side” and Marine meaning “ocean”, ultramarine would become the symbol of wisdom and value. The use of brass is based on Dupont’s fascination with religious charms, also called milagros, often used as votive offerings in Latinamerican countries. These charms create a direct connection between body, psyche, and a spiritual dimension. Therefore a charm depicting a heart can be sacrificed with the purpose of recovering from a heart condition or heartbreak.

Dupont’s performance is not only about sacrifice but is also about raising questions without demanding any answers. It inscribes itself in the universal and perhaps eternal changing concepts of how we think about the body and how we think about the mind. Is it even possible to separate body and mind from each other?

Dupont wishes to create a personal room for reflection in a world where not many things are certain – except that We Always Carry Our Body.

Text by Michelle Korbø Moran

The work is kindly supported by the Danish Arts Foundation.

Video by Rine Rodin.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by Jonas Heide Smith

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.

Photo by David Stjernholm.