Fly away
2020
Medium
colour digital video, sound
Measurements
32 min 27 sec
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by July Cao, 2023
© Derek Fordjour, Nick Lehane and Petzel Gallery, New York, All Rights Reserved
Gallery location
18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Ranging from painting and sculpture to installation and performance, Derek Fordjour’s exuberant and multi-layered works feature athletes, performers and other archetypes central to cultural rituals and communal rites of passage.
Inspired by the Bunraku style of Japanese Puppet Theatre, Fly away originated as a live puppet show co-created by Fordjour and award-winning puppeteer Nick Lehane. Depicting a fable-like narrative of a man’s quest for mastery, it follows a cycle of wins and losses as the central character attempts a series of skills such as football, horseriding and music. With a visible team of puppeteers included in the frame, the work raises questions around autonomy, control and dependence.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
New York, New York, United States
Edition
ed. 5/5
Inscription
engraved on USB c.r.{fly / AWAY}
engraved in lid of accompany box {fly / AWAY}
Accession Number
2023.592
Department
Contemporary Art