A series of Incomplete Gestures (2021-2023)
Movement Study > Short Film
By Kate Vozella
Voiced by: Alison Jaye
Presented at Wild Geese Gallery, NYC
November, 2023
For two years, I wandered the streets of New York City, capturing the shapes formed by the human body in motion—gestures that contorted limbs, twisted body parts, and at times, seemed to defy gravity. Some movements were simple and familiar, like a man hailing a taxi or a woman leaping over a filthy puddle. But others felt bizarre, unique, and, even by New York standards, enormous in scale. Viewing the human form through this lens revealed a purity or innocence, where each person became a sum of their movements. Yet, this sum was never finite—movements are in constant flux, an open channel, a continuous line. If this sum were a mathematical equation, it would remain unsolved, an infinite progression.
Most human movements are entirely subconscious. When I could, and when it felt appropriate, I photographed or filmed these gestures. Later, I would return home to mimic or respond to them, filming myself in the process. Through this act of performance, the gestures became elastic, transformed by their repetition. Despite being prompted by specific images, the movements evolved into something entirely different, leading me to unexpected places. It felt almost impossible to stop moving—once set in motion, gestures evolve and transform, but eventually, like everything, they must end. I couldn’t help but think that one day, one by one, our gestures will cease, ending with that last inevitable motion, different yet final for each of us.
Movement typically arises from thought, and if not, then from intention or need. By repeating the gestures of strangers, I aimed to explore the subtle narratives embedded in their everyday motions. My observations were often straightforward: children move with unrestrained freedom, while usually adults exhibit varying degrees of restraint, distraction or hurried purpose. And, our bodies are adapting—necks bending more often downward, a subtle consequence of our constant interaction with screens. For some, especially the elderly, even the smallest gestures reveal the weight of time and effort. This process fostered a quiet sense of empathy within me; by focusing on the details of individual movement, I began to see a broader, collective rhythm—a reminder of our shared human experience.
This process culminated in a performance lasting 4 hours and 50 minutes, a portion of which is captured in the short film above. It was staged in the large window of a two-story building in the Lower East Side, where I interpreted and embodied the movements of strangers in real time. Passersby could look up and watch me perform, reflecting the city’s constant motion back to itself.