When I look in the mirror I am concerned that I am not myself. I am at war, struggling within the self. Red, powerfully powerless and full of power. "Why do sadness birds ."
Holly Timpener, MA is a queer, non-binary performance artist working in-depth with themes of Queer trauma and Queer resistance. They use performance as a way to challenge and understand their place in this world, and to investigate how Queer people and communities are connected. Performance allows them to confront issues related to gender, intimacy, trauma, and the body by engaging themes of trust, power, control, and consent. These themes are approached from a personal perspective, along with research collected from within Queer communities. One-on-one performances allow them to receive stories and experiences of other Queer folks, which they reflect on and respond to through performative expression.
Timpener is currently investigating internal transformations in durational performance art and its relationship to non-binary and transgender identities. They are interested in finding an accessible language wherein discourses surrounding internal transformations and their connection to non-binary and transgender identity can emerge. They believe it is within the embodiment of affectual transformation that queer resistance is created through performative action.
Balancing their personal experience, knowledge, and memories with insight gained through Queer community research, Timpener embodies "The Personal Is Political" in a modern sociopolitical context. Within their works, they claim ownership of their own body and reflect on the trauma woven into the lived experience of being Queer. Timpener’s work communicates identity, sexuality, community, and creates strong images that transmute the space, public, and themself into a new awareness.
Biography
Timpener has held several international residencies and worked with multiple festivals, including Month of Performance Art - Berlin (2013), Nuit Blanche - Calgary (2014), and Nuit Blanche - Toronto (2015). Their work has been featured at The Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, ON, 2014/2016) and Espacio Centro Gallery (Oaxaca, Mexico, 2015). They have been honored to have worked several times with La Pocha Nosta at Montreal Arts Interculturels (2017), at the Paseo Festival (2019), and at Encuentro in Mexico City (2019).
They have performed at RIPPA Montreal (2018), the Rhubarb Festival (2018), the Venice International Performance Art Week (2020), and the Drip Performance Festival in Liverpool, UK (2020). They have also worked with FADO (2021) and the Lots of Love Festival (2021), presented work at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery (2022), and at La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse (2022). They also performed at A Score of Score (2023) and Third Shift in Saint John (2023).
In the last few years, Timpener has been the artist in residence for the B#Side the River Festival in Italy (2022), Studio 303 (2023), DOMIE in Poznan, Poland (2023), Pandora Underground Gallery in Berlin, Germany (2023), and Casa Museo in Mexico City (2024). They began this year by showing a work entitled Casa Viva at the Mexico Art Week. Timpener is currently working on a four-piece performance project called Alive Archives. They look forward to traveling to Vancouver this fall as the artist in residence for the Joy Kogawa House. While in BC, they will also perform at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.