Social Media using us: “The Like Me”

The newest addition to artist Lala Drona’s video series “La Minute Ladrona (The Stolen Minute)” has just been released:  Title:  “The Like Me” (video below.)

As if social media were a cosmic invader on the human species, the video begins with a view of Earth from outer space, and lands in Lala Drona’s home city, Paris, France. The viewer finds the artist underground, inside an air shaft.  Alone, and illuminated only by the light of her phone, she begins to voice opinions and expressions that have become all too familiar to anyone growing up post-millennial.    

The performance art video “The Like Me” delves into the isolating effects of social media through its guise of connection.  This video experience, examines the normalised anxiety we feel on a daily basis.

The art performance video series “La Minute Ladrona” exists within the context of a confined space.  The black backdrop and  unknown location capture the viewer for a moment of intimacy through the screen.  However, “The Like Me” stands to be the first time Lala Drona has located herself in the context of our outside world— now injecting elements of story into this video series.

“The Like Me” being the 7^th, and most recent instalment, has critics and academics alike seeing the beginnings of an evolution regarding the art video series.  As one critic in the L.D. Confidential stated: “The Like Me is the first time that Lala Drona has played with the idea of space and context.  She has become a being which exists in our shared world, albeit still hidden in the dark corners of it.  She is publicly appropriating the role of “observer.”  The detailed work regarding lighting, place and concept, shows a confidence and artistic maturity.  This new instalment promises more exciting things to come regarding Lala Drona’s work.”

This video has Art fans asking if this video is a sign of coming changes in Lala Drona’s social media presence. Perhaps this video is what remains from the journey she’s made from tool to master. One thing is certain: the creation of this piece shows us that no one is immune to the effects of social media. Even when an artist attempts to evade it, its omnipotence proves itself by resurfacing in her work.

Chalie Malonie, Digital ArtWorld Newsletter

Drone Kesabe breaks routine with “Creatures of Habit”

Lala Drona was expected to perform at Paris Lit Up’s magazine release party last week. Instead, Drone Kesabe, an assistant to Lala Drona, was sent to stand in for Lala in her absence.

Once called to the stage, Drone Kesabe explained to the audience that Lala Drona had been held up during her art research. She stated that Lala Drona had been conducting art experiments to find the perfect colour, a color too strong for the human eye, a deadly color: “…Essentially a colour that kills” she said. Lala Drona and her team had some sort of breakthrough, and so she was unable to come to the event.

Drone Kesabe then began to read Lala’s poem to the audience in a low and airy voice:

(Creature of Habit)

These creatures look for the familiar in the unfamiliar. Tell me, why do you put on shoes?  Only to walk with blind feet.  You process a new place based on past processes.  The past with its conquering mentality—in your mind—time cannibalizes itself, past taking present.  Is there a reason you can only see back in time, but not forward?  Creatures of habit, only see what they know, and this is how I come to you “th-th-th-th-th-th.”

Repetition, monotony, boredom, commitment, dedication, loyalty, rigor: you play me over and over, conjuring my face in every note of that song—the song that was playing when the Thing happened.

 I’ll stay with you and tell you what to do, so the Thing doesn’t happen again, you think—

–And I let you know that your instincts are shit, listen to me, I was there, and I’ll keep you safe. 

Creatures of habit, based on a fact, based on a television, based on a story…this only serves to take me with you—in your mind—. 

Perched on your back making nests of knots in your shoulders, making my way to your belly—Let me stay here a bit while you recognize the pattern of that familiar ceiling in the walls of this unfamiliar venue.  The same pattern of where the Thing happened, when you had no control, I came, that’s where we met the first time.

Watch the new patterns, registered by old ones, process, tilt you head back further, further, thaaat’s it. “th-th-th-th-th” stop breathing now because the past doesn’t breathe, and we never left that moment—in your mind—I’m here with you, when no one else will be.  And I’ll never leave you, not if you keep looking…looking for our familiar in the unfamiliar.  Creature of habit. 

Poem “Creatures of Habit” by Lala Drona © 2019

The launch party went off without a hitch while artists, poets and creative-types mixed and popped off celebratory champagne. As for the work Lala Drona is developing behind the scenes, our investigative journalists haven’t seemed to be able to get beyond Drone Kesabe’s statement at the PLU launch party.

Based on a Fact caught up with art trend expert Valerie Cogie who weighed in on the situation. “If we take a look at Lala Drona’s paintings, it’s quite obvious that she’s chosen to express through the grayscale. As stated in previous interviews, this was due to her reaction to traveling the world. She stopped seeing the world in binary oppositions: black/white, right/wrong… and started paying more attention to the in-betweens…the grays. Perhaps, she has reached a point where she wants to start incorporating colour into her painting universe. I’d rather not speculate further on the psychological implications of this.”

–

–

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Beard: Lala’s newest video gets hairy

Just released, Lala Drona’s newest art video “The Beard,” makes waves amongst the digital masses (video below). The newest instalment in her video series La Minute Ladrona (the stolen minute) has fans deliberating the true meaning behind the video.

Lala Drona with Jamika Ajalon

The artist covers topics in beard history, possibly linking beard trends to the different waves of women’s liberation. She unpacks the contemporary and metaphorical beard in a playful and enigmatic way.

The video stays true to Lala Drona’s iconic style. Moving video interacts with static digital image, while she whispers poetry over a black backdrop. However, this piece takes a documentary-style spin, diving into the beard as historical artefact, and looking into its influence on society as a whole. For the first time in the video series, Lala Drona incorporates audio from other authors/vocalists: one cameo by performance artist Jamika Ajalon, recorded specifically for this project.

Video still from “The Beard”

A series first, Lala Drona also collaborated with someone else during the performance part of the video project. “What makes this video groundbreaking [within the series] is that Lala Drona shares the screen with someone else! Drone No.1 from the Lala’s created universe has crossed over into the La Minute Ladrona Series! Long live Drone No. 1!!!!” (digitalfire58, Dronauniverse Forum).

Drone No.1, a favourite in the Lala Drona Universe, has caused fans to come out of the woodwork, reminiscing on the Drone No.1 saga, and praising his return in the form of internet memes.

Not surprisingly, the appearance of Drone No.1 has inspired conspiracy theories that Lala Drona will soon return to her work on the Lala Laboratory, after a long pause due to her European Art Tour. Others speculate on how this video came about, pointing to the easter eggs left in social media posts from Lala Drona’s European travels.

Either way, we are impressed with the trailblazing evolution of her work. This video marks a stylistic shift. “The Beard” art video is a must-see. Below, a link to the video. We also suggest seeing all of the “La Minute Ladrona” video series found here.

Go Hashtag Yourself Interview, 2018

Lala Drona sits down with L.D. Times Magazine once again for an exclusive  interview.  This time she discusses the ways in which social media and the Internet influence and affect her work as an artist.  Read the full article here.

 

 

La Rupture

Lala Drona has made her first artistic appearance since arriving in Beijing, but one could say she’s not quite all there.  In her newest performance art video, Lala Drona sports a broken tooth.  In typical “Lala” fashion, she gives no explanation to what happened, hoping that the art will be enough to satiate her followers.  The peculiar thing is, this gaping smile isn’t all that unfamiliar.  Lala Drona emerged broken-toothed in February 2013, just some four years ago right after she moved to Paris, France.  Why Lala is sporting a look from four years ago is past us, and whether or not she sprouts the next fashion tooth-trend is up for debate.
But in all seriousness, it is quite strange that the last two times Lala has changed countries, she has emerged with a broken tooth.  As the video mentions both Paris and Beijing, one can infer that Lala is not only talking about her dental fracture, but also the fracture that comes from leaving a country, and its people behind.  She also states that she doesn’t have much time [before someone comes and repairs her.]  In the performance, Lala expresses a desperation to explore her moment of “rupture,” before someone comes and “fills in the gap” so to speak.
We can all relate to this feeling of rupture, whether it be saying goodbye to someone, or moving on from a particular stage in our lives.  Most of us try to push through it as quickly as possible.  However, in her video performance, “La Rupture,” Lala asks us to pay attention to it, to live it and to appreciate it while it’s there.  It could be where your rawest creativity exists.

Based on a fact.

Percy Fleming, Beijing’s Booming Magazine

La Politesse.

In the form of video performance, Lala Drona recounts her personal experience living abroad.  After moving to Paris, France in 2012, Lala films herself performing in French for the very first time.

She speaks with her face blanketed in flesh-colored mesh; she pulls and pushes through the material, illustrating the tension between the “natural” and “foreign” behaviours she experiences abroad.  The camera frame often segments parts of the face, zooming in on her mouth in order to draw focus to her words.  The video successfully transmits an oppressive ambience, the pressures of living up to societal norms when immersing yourself into a new culture.

Based on a Fact

Damian Fuller, Minimalism and Manners Blog

 

Behind the Scenes look

A behind the scenes look at the rehearsal of Lala Drona’s Art Prison Interview.  To be performed on December 11th at 20h00 at her exhibition opening From the Bed to the Lab.