Battle Royal, 2009 - Nuit Blanche

Battle Royal, 2009

Shaun El C. Leonardo - New York City, USA

Performance Art

Inspired by Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man, 20 men will enter Toronto's original bus depot with lingering art-deco design and step into a 17 steel cage. Shaun El Conquistador Leonardo (artist and trained fighter) along with 19 of Canadas elite pro-wrestlers will fight blindfolded until only one man is left standing.

The match is an intense, theatrical recreation of the books opening scene also entitled Battle Royal. Occupying a space between literary representation, wrestling spectacle and art performance, Battle Royal is an unscripted event harkening back to the actual fight to-the-end bouts African Americans were encouraged to enter for prize winnings during post-slavery American South; while manifesting the artists own personal fear of societal invisibility.

Beginning at 7pm members of the audience are invited to be blindfolded and escorted into the cage where they will have the opportunity to feel the intimidation and potential of aggression Battle Royal encompasses. Gradually, as the night reaches its peak, professional wrestlers will be introduced to the ring, initiating the action while the artist, Shaun El C. Leonardo, seeks to withstand the pain, embarrassment and discomfort of struggling in front of eyes without having sight himself.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• nuit blanche
• toronto
• bus
• station
• fight
• cage
• wrestling
• blindfold
• battle royal
• Shaun El C. Leonardo

[divertiti]

I can't believe you actually caught this on film, that's me in the cage! LOL, good times