How to Swim in a Living Room

  • Adam Bierling
Adam Bierling, How to Swim in a Living Room, 2020. Photo: Marcus Marriott. Courtesy the artist.

In the absence of a pool, swim in a living room. In the absence of a living room, swim in a bath. In the absence of a bath, swim in a shower. In the absence of a shower, swim in a bed. In the absence of a bed, swim in open air. Allow two metres distance around yourself for all swimming activities.

Questions to meditate on: What is a playful swimmer? How does a swimmer play? Who am I without a pool? What is the pool without me? Why does water change me the way it does? How does it do that thing to make me so embodied? What does losing yourself feel like? What does finding yourself feel like? How can I fill all this space? Where is the nearest body of water? How does a playful body swim?


Performance 1

How to Swim in a Living Room

  1. Imagine the air around you into water.
    Float on top of it.
    Dive into it.
  2. Lie on top of a surface so there is water around you and under you.
  3. Swim 10 lengths of front crawl, breathing every five strokes.
  4. Swim 10 lengths of breaststroke, breathing on the upstroke.
  5. Repeat actions 3 & 4 until the swim is over.


Performance 2

How to Swim as a Siren

  1. Create a list of songs to sing as you lure sailors into the watery depths.
  2. Sing a line of song every time your head is underwater.

Repeat until the playlist is finished.

Playlist:
Come Away With Me, Norah Jones
Movies, Weyes Blood
Come All You Sailors, The Wailin’ Jennys


Performance 3

How to Swim in a Bed

  1. Gather water from the nearest lake.
  2. Pour the water into a vessel, place it on your bed.
  3. Take a deep breath and submerge your face in the water.
  4. Hold your breath for as long as possible.



Adam Bierling is an artist, writer, social worker, and curator living in what is known as Toronto. Their work explores relationships of desire, freakishness, cross-species love, alter egos, and queered kin making. They are a recipient of the Delaney Family Entrance Scholarship at OCAD University, where they are currently pursuing a BFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice and a minor in Gender and Sexuality studies.

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