About Z
Z is a new performance film by Keith Khan. Echoing the still sparseness to be found in the work of the 17th century Spanish painter Franciscó de Zubarán, the film is inspired by the movements of penitence and suffering found in the devotional rituals of Spanish catholicism. Castigation is a common sight – men whip themselves in public, carry heavy saint statues on floats with bare feet in an ostentatious show of public suffering, visibly displaying their faith and devotion before others. Conversely, women suffer in silence and stillness at home. Here, performing a taconeo (the flamenco footwork), the female figure experiences a moment of release. Limited by the narrow range of expression and movement found in devotional religious sculpture, the performers Carolina Junco and Carlos Alma, work towards an experience of religious ecstasy.
Z can be seen as a counter point to a work Khan made in 1986 with Dianne Esguerra entitled Images from Purdah, and based on the Koran and Othello.
'Z', Keith Khan, 2020. Still from video. LADA Screens, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
