Joan Jonas, Wind, 1968

Wind is a dance of bodies that move guided, in part, by the strength of the wind. This work, shot in black and white in long takes with no sound, is one of the earliest performances by the artist Joan Jonas (New York, 1936), which she would set in natural or industrial environments. In it, the artist allows the wind to determine the performers’ movements in a blend of choreography, ceremony and improvisation. Jonas was a pioneer in the 1960s of performance art practice, experimental film and video installation work. In her pieces, the influence of contemporary dance and the language of avant-garde film replace narrative continuity. The result is a multimedia performance that incorporates drawing, sculpture and video.