Transfiguration - Olivier de Sagazan

A painter and sculptor's unfulfilled longing to breathe life into his creation. In a desperate gesture, he models clay on his head, buries himself in the material, obliterates himself and becomes a living work of art. However, he is blinded by the material and is forced to delve into his inner self.

In a mesmerising performance, Sagazan changes identity on stage - from human to animal and from animal to various hybrid creatures. He pierces, obliterates and unravels the layers of his face in a feverish search for new essence and form.

I Transfiguration he gives new meaning to the concept of life, offering a captivating, disturbing and moving glimpse into an alternative identity, without the usual human inhibitions.

Sargazan says: "I'm amazed at the degree to which people think it's normal, or even trivial, to be alive."

The performance Transfiguration was created in 1998 and has since been performed more than 400 times in 25 different countries.

Transfiguration is French artist Olivier de Sagazan's most famous performance, created in 1998 and performed over 400 times in more than 25 countries. It is a ritualistic and physically powerful performance in which the artist uses his own body as canvas and sculpture. By applying, altering and removing layers of clay and paint, he explores what it means to be human and asks the question: "Who am I?"

Credits

Director and performer: Olivier de Sagazan
Photo: Didier Carlucio

See more about the artist here https://olivierdesagazan.com/

What critics say

The show has been described as "one of the most original and incredible things you are likely to see" by The Guardian, and The World has compared it to "Francis Bacon in action". It's an experience that both mesmerises and disturbs, leaving the audience with a sense of having witnessed something deeply personal and universal.