Emma Fielden’s 'Andromeda and the Milky Way' (2021) began as a live performance that took place over 4.5 hours at a pop-up exhibition space in Sydney, resulting in a video, a work on paper, and a jar of charcoal.

The work delves into the poetic dance of two galaxies destined to merge. This performance drawing manifests the cosmic interplay between magnitude and intimacy, sketching a celestial narrative where the grandeur of galaxies is contrasted by the intimacy of human connection.

With two performers dressed in ink-black against a luminous white paper background, this work translates a timeless choreography of celestial bodies into a visual narrative. Each orbit, rendered in charcoal, tells a story of attraction, longing, and the uncertainty of union. Just as galaxies move with grace, magnitude, and an unfathomable sense of purpose, these performers traverse the paper, their motions drawing out tales of desires and near-misses, connection and divergence.

This work is as much a reflection on human nature as it is an ode to the cosmos. The paradox of these two galaxies’ imminent convergence, without a single star or planet collision, mirrors our own human experiences – the yearning to connect, the orbits of relationships, and the often elusive nature of true connection.

As a moving image, this piece is a dynamic exploration of drawing itself, challenging our perceptions of scale from the grandeur of galaxies to the intimacy of a charcoal line, showcasing drawing as both a medium and a performance.

‘Andromeda and the Milky Way’ beckons its viewers to contemplate their cosmic significance, to revel in the splendour of the ephemeral, and to discern the profound harmonies that emanate from every transient encounter.