La petite musette, casquée

In La petite musette, casquée (2002), the Belgian performance artist Merlin Spie sits on a chair with her face to the wall while breathing with diving apparatus. A minimalist performance of oppressive intensity in which the cigarette in her hand marks the passing of time. The violin-shaped opening in the back, a reference to Man Ray’s photo Kiki, le violon d’Ingres, offers a moment of stillness in a scary setting covered entirely in pear syrup.