Duration - 2hours
In this performance, Aparna invites viewers into a visceral meditation on the invisible burdens we carry—weights that cling to us, resist removal, and shape our identities. The work grapples with the futility of cleansing, the impossibility of erasure, and asks: what marks do we bear that cannot be washed away?
Why do we feel the need to wash away these stains? Who are we cleansing ourselves for? What do we hope to achieve through this act of purification? And what would it mean for us if we chose to keep the stains, to live with them instead of denying their presence?
Through an unrelenting act of repetition, the performance explores cycles of responsibility, guilt, and societal expectation, prompting us to question the myths of purity and transformation. Can we ever truly rid ourselves of the weight of history, both personal and collective? Or does it become ingrained, hardening with time until it is indistinguishable from our very being?
By refusing resolution, Aparna confronts the audience with the discomfort of unresolved tension. Never Trust A Man In White Shoes challenges viewers to consider not only what we attempt to cleanse but also what we allow to linger—questions that resonate deeply in a world where perfection is fetishised and authenticity remains elusive.
Performed with the Possible Futures Collective, Hyderabad at The Hyderabad Literary Festival
Curated by Harsha, Vignesh