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Donkey-lobalization
2013 This public performance was done during Wax and Gold public performance day, Henok implemented an Ethiopian color code for underconstruction building on one side of a donkey and reflective curtain-wall window like material on the other side of the Donkey he again wanted to raise critical discussions among the everyday people walking in the busy area of Addis Ababa about the continuous displacement of community as well as transformation of the Addis ababa cultural landscape |
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Donkey-lobalization/ Bed time story
2012 This performance was about the impact of government media propaganda onto the society. there are numerous changes in Henoks home town Addis Ababa which in return affects the life of everyday people by dislocation ,challenging their social bondage,cultural clashes, displacement ... etc., Henok choses Donkey as a central element as a representation of his society complemented by different media elements like news paper, TV antenna, receiver dish, TV Radio parts etc...Donkey is used for long time in Ethiopia as a means of transporting goods and it witnesses every changes happened up to current. the performance was done in Addis Ababa in Jane-meda for A group show with Stundens from Institute Für Raumexperiement |
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Conception vs. Death (color, sound)
Duration: 4 min Year: 2009 Description: This video is all about duality. This liquid dance plays on a sperm cell transforming from conception to death. This video was made during the “Free Art Felaga” at the Addis Ababa Goethe Institute in May 2009 I believe pre-conception and post-death are both in the realm of the unknown. This is what I tried to showcase in this video with the dancing of a sperm trying to reach an egg. After death, there is a dance of silence, |
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Presence
Duration:5:44min Year: 2010 Discription: This performance was the expression of the dance play between birth and death,the co-existence of the duality and the reverse of time. During this performance Henok was hidden inside the moving box while dragged by another collaborated Artist Solomon Tsegaye (mummified), and Frew Kebede was improvising with piano, the performance was done during Henok Solo Exhibition "Ferkesa-Innerself" opening in Goethe institute in 2010 |
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End points (color, sound)
Duration: 3.22 min Year: 2009 Description: This video aims to serve as an expression of sexual seduction through human extremities, the melting together of flesh and the unity involved in the creation of pleasure. The sensitivity and intricacy of fingertips is used to express emotional peaks slowly merging and melting, uniting to become one flesh, one essence. The three layers of foreground, middle ground and background seen visually is blended with layers of sounds from an outdoor party. These sounds include a campfire, people talking in different languages and a DJ playing music respectively. |
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Embryo Enlightenment (colour, sound)
Duration: 3.10 Year: 2009 Description: Created during a 3 month International Artist Residency Program in Leipzig, Germany this video mimics an embryo’s growth in reverse. From being recognizable as human to an undefined shape, the dance symbolizes travelling into and out of the 3rd dimension of art. It also shows the struggle of myself wrapped in canvas, travelling to the unknown, represented in the melting effect, melting into something unrecognizable, uncharacteristic. Sexual suffering is expressed through the symbol of a mattress. The inner sponge was worn during the dance, and the whole video was then projected on the mattress, which was used as a screen. |
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Framed Embryo (black and white, no sound)
Duration: 4.12min Year: 2008 Description: This video is about the struggle of the self to break through canvas in search for another dimension. This project was an urge to express feelings through movement. This video-performance depicts my desire to escape from the prison of 2 dimensional art, to enter into the 3rd, 4th, 5th dimensions of art. Canvas is used as a symbol for a coffin, wrapped around my body and enhanced with a ghosting effect to show my artistic resurrection. Originally a photo slideshow, performed a during the International Embryo Workshop in Asni Gallery, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. |
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The Ox Painting
Year 2012 This was a documentation video from live performance of slaughter of Henok's own painting and selling the pieces for the audience according to the size and shape they choose. the performance was complemented by projection of a video of local butcher shop on the butchered painting itself, later Henok was giving away the collected money in a performative way for the street children whom he invited during the performance there was a controvertial discussion among local artists whether this action of butchering an artwork was Art or not and created strong opposition, Henok wanted to raise questions and dialogues about current land butchering by the system , urbanization and displacement of the society from their home. |
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Birth of Time
2010 Live performance in Addis Ababa Exhibition center during WAPI project in collaboration with British council Addis , During this performance Henok performed his interpretation of the singularity of sex, birth and death in a visual language. He colored himself with white Gypsum and came out of the box and went again. |
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.Untiteled time
2009 This performance was a part of free art felega workshop facilitated by Yenatfanta Abate in Goethe Institue Addis Ababa , Henok Was performing with another artist Endale Desalegn ,they created a series of body movements complemented by a clock and mummified them self during the workshop and performed the process and improvised different possibilities. |