Artist’s imagery enthrals

PUT YOUR HEART UNDER YOUR FEET...AND WALK / TO ELU, featuring Steven Cohen (Guy Butler Theatre). Today at 11am.

Steven Cohen is without a doubt one of the most highly-anticipated performers at the festival this year. Put your heart under

your feet . . . and walk is an unapologetically emotional piece that surpasses the confines of theatre.

Cohen has a clear personal attachment to his work that elevates the intensity and relatability of his performance.

As intended, he managed to create a real-life experience of mourning, loss and pain.

The piece is in memory of his life-partner, Elu.

It is a mixture of sculpted art objects, projections and an unbelievably physical performance by Cohen. Known for his controversial work, Cohen makes the audience beautifully uncomfortable with artistically grotesque im- agery. For a moment, it feels as if you understand his pain.

By the end of the performance, the audience was silent. However, this silence should not be confused for discontent. Instead, the audience was given the opportunity to transition from spectators to attendees in mourning.

The visual aspect of Cohen’s performance is the true highlight of the show. If you were to view the show with no knowledge of its context, you would still feel something.

Cohen has an uncanny ability to allure his audience with a performance that changes pace all the time.

One minute there is dead silence, the next there is music, smoke and lights.

His work is known for pushing people out of their comfort zone.

Cohen has managed to successfully blur the lines between obscurity and sheer brilliance.

He’s different, he’s out of the ordinary and his performance comes from a place of love.