STILL STANDING YOU (Pieter Ampe & Guilherme Garrido / CAMPO): 2015 Fringe review 41

Still-Standing-You-fringe-review
Pieter Ampe and Guilherme Garrido in STILL STANDING YOU. Photoby : Phile Deprez

An exploration of male dynamics, STILL STANDING YOU breaks down the social and cultural boundaries of male relationships which restrict genuine connection. Pieter Ampe and Gui Garrido open up their lives and relationship, giving a physical representation of the dependency and intimate emotional trust that they share.

Like two young boys, Ampe and Garrido playfully discover their naked bodies. They hit and throw each other around, pull on and smack each others genitals—all with an innocence and curiosity that is lost, and viewed as inappropriate, in adulthood. Ampe and Garrido wrestle with perceived inadequacies of strength and manhood and how that affects their bodies and their relationship. Their work rips the audience out of their comfort zone, retraining our culturally ingrained denominations of acceptable behavior and thought. The cleverly calculated exposure of “acceptable” and “unacceptable” behavior accustoms us to extreme displays of consensual behavior. As Ampe and Garrido deconstruct our view of their relationship, we no longer need to define them as friends, brothers, lovers, or ex-lovers. Instead we are left with an urge to understand how we limit our availability to be open, supportive, and accepting in all of our relationships. [Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine Street] September 9-11, 2015 fringearts.com/still-standing-you.

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