Tris Vonna-Michell
born 1982 in Southend-on-Sealives and works in Berlin and London
Tris Vonna-Michell’s work is about storytelling and narration. In his performances, he draws on the various ways in which language has passed down through time, and the traditions behind it. The result is a virtuoso mix of theatre monologue and street slang, traditional documentary reporting with elements of slapstick comedy.
His appearances are as meticulously planned as they are freely improvised. In each case, his audience is point of contact, and can determine the pace of the performance. Vonna-Michell often uses historical events as a framework story, spicing up the narrative with biographical details, photographs, texts, film sequences and everyday objects.
His early works were not recorded in any form. Nowadays he uses records or texts to document his performances. But the objects and photographs involved remain mere accessories once he has finished with them.