SOFT CORE

SOFT GORE

LIFE HURTS

ART HEALS

- YVES GORE

Yves Gore (b. 1987, they/xem) is an artist who works in performance, painting, writing, music and film. The focus of their work includes themes like sexuality, suicidal ideation, grief and what it means to transcend social stigmas in order to live fuller lives. Yves has performed and exhibited in 16 countries, including the historic Catacombs of Paris and Cologne’s iconic St Ursula’s Golden Chamber. They are a cast on NETFLIX's feature, Orgasm Inc., and have recently completed a songwriting residency with Emmy Award-winning sound engineer, Dick Reade. Yves is also a visiting lecturer, having taught art and creative impulse at Zurich University, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Los Angeles, among other schools. They were named best lecturer of the decade during their artist residency at Dunedin School of Art in New Zealand after presenting their public seminar, Artist with Issues. Born on the island of Borneo, Yves grew up in New Zealand and lives in Los Angeles. They are the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band, FATAL CREATURES.

Performance Description:

In today’s world, we live in perpetual doomsday with constant images of war and violence permeating the fabric of our everyday lives from a 24/7 news cycle that demands we never sleep. The cost of this constant hyper-vigilance is our deregulated nervous system, where we never feel safe enough to be fully present with ourselves and each other. Being always in survival mode, we perpetually postpone our hopes and dreams for a “better” time that is forever out of reach, trapping us in the vicious cycle of fear and oppression, never thriving and fully becoming who we are.

However, if we dive into literature from 50, 100, or 400 years ago, we find that society hasn’t changed much. We have been on the verge of doomsday at every timeline of humanity, perpetrated by different characters over the ages with similar acts of terror. By now, we must realise that although it is impossible to completely eradicate violence in this world, it is also impossible to completely eradicate the goodness we each have the agency to carry out… in our own homes, in our local community, and possibly the entire world. In every day and every moment of our lives, how can we begin to create a safe harbour for joy and becoming, in ourselves and each other? How can we eventually overwhelm doomsday and turn it into YAYday?

Come experience this through Yves Gore’s performance, Doing Cartwheels on Doomsday Afternoon. John Yamrus’s book of the same title will be available on location for everyone’s reading experience. Yves Gore will also be available for a one-on-one TRAUMA TRANSCENDENCE art session throughout the International Staff Week conference. Limited slots available. To book a time, email time@terminalagitation.org