Sahar Afrooz/Erase My Pain

The moment the audience gazes through the semi-transparent glass door into the performance space, they are confronted with a paradox - clarity and ambiguity, participation and passive observation, outcry and silence. The interactive piece Erase My Pain not only questions the nature of pain and the possibility of its eradication but also materializes this inquiry through its performance structure. The audience, upon reading the phrase that invites them to eliminate pain, steps into a space where the interplay between signs, performance, and direct engagement with the wall begins.

In this work, the wall is not merely a physical surface displaying words and symbols - it serves as a psychological entity with a dual function: concealing and revealing. Walls are built to hide, yet they become reflective surfaces of the mental constructs surrounding pain. The audience, while holding the spray paint, does not eliminate pain itself but rather projects their own mental representation of pain onto the wall. Here, art transcends its conventional boundaries and becomes a vehicle for contemplating participation, collective memory, and the limitations of language.

The spatial arrangement and environmental setup of the work are meticulously designed to preserve focus and isolation as key elements. The music, controlled lighting, ventilation, and precise placement of the equipment table all contribute to an immersive experience - from the moment of entry to the final auditory cue signaling the conclusion of participation. This intentional structuring does not seek to restrict the experience but rather guides it toward an immediate and unmediated confrontation.

Erase My Pain employs interaction as a sophisticated tool to explore the concept of pain. Ultimately, the question inscribed on the wall is not meant to be answered but serves as a foundation for personal experience. Like any successful interactive piece, this performance inscribes its resolution within the mind and body of the audience - not in the moment of execution but in the lingering engagement that extends far beyond their exit from the space.