Elegy of the Pale Lion

Residency / Creative Development

A choreographic and sculptural ritual about remembering, forgetting, and mourning. Performed on the stripped chassis of a Holden Commodore VF, the work reimagines the car as a uniquely evolved Australian species of feral lion, now facing extinction.

eDuard Helmbold’s sculpture and performance practice explores the roles of nostalgia and shame in the negotiation and production of cultural identities. In this ambitious new work, he collaborates with Motus Collective, an artist-run dance initiative led by Felicity Boyd and Zoe Gay, and experimental composer Daniel Thorpe.

The first part of this Elegy is ‘Wake’: a sculptural vigil for the scrapped body of Holden 6G1FA5E56EL942242.
During ‘Wake’ the Workers keep vigil over the body whist preparing it for the Requiem.

The second part of this showing is ‘Requiem’. Structured around the Mass for the Dead, ‘Requiem’ is an alchemical rite where Holden 6G1FA5E56EL942242’s body is transmuted into that of the Lion through a series of sculptural interventions performed by Workers and Dæmons.

Creative team:
Creator and director: eDuard Helmbold
Co-creators and performers: Motus Collective – Zoe Gay and Felicity Boyd
Composer: Daniel Thorpe