MONOLOGUE

Photos of Jess Higgins' performance on 12 April 2025, which took place at 20 Albert Road in front of a blown-up photograph that I took of Isabella Widger's backdrop.

We arrived a couple of minutes late and the venue was so packed that people were forced to watch through the windows.

I really wanted to see the backdrop, though, so I nudged my way through the crowd to get a better look.

Once I had absorbed the backdrop, I focused on Jess Higgins’ performance. It was a typical art world performance: full of circuitous logic, random doubts and sips of red wine.

At some point, everyone got a napkin. Then Neil Clements started handing out bags of crisps. I wasn’t really sure what was happening.

Maybe confusion is the point. It did feel incredibly uncommodifiable.

Isabella Widger's backdrop looked great and really added to the sense of ... being in a fridge?

At some point, Jess's partner put sunglasses on and went outside to wash the windows.

This was dramatic. Such is a benefit of a low-key performances. This small intervention by Matthew Walkerdine had a big impact on the mood.

Jess then asked for participants. No one volunteered. It was awkward and I decided to put my hand up. I played the role of the car and watched as some subsequent volunteers read a dialogue.

Jess got on a table and performed with a rose. I don't recall much of this. Hopefully, there will be a text. Looking at these photos, I wonder if I was distracted from the performance by actually taking pictures. Hmmm.

The backdrop. Where it all began.

The backdrop in Isabella Widger’s studio.