Diane Mahín
In GRUNT, the audience meets a woman who communicates solely through growls and grunts. This growler navigates various moods, portraying what seems to be an urgent story to be told or an intimate conversation to be held. While she attempts to tell a joke, the audience is met with dark, trauma-laden growls, turning humor into a shadowy reflection. When she reaches out tenderly, all she can express is violence.
What begins as an awkward encounter full of innocent misunderstandings gradually escalates into a desperate need for connection. As she fails to bridge the communication gap with the audience, her growls become more frantic, as she starts propelling them into space while hoping for some kind of response. The vocalizations transform from deliberate attempts to communicate into involuntary, visceral outbursts, culminating in a violent expulsion of sound.
GRUNT explores the effects of trauma through the primal language of vocality and physicality. The hidden layers of trauma emerge through the growls, revealing a raw and unfiltered expression of inner turmoil.
Inspired by the distorted vocals of Death Metal, Diane began growling a year ago, studying under professional Metal singers. She is drawn to growling for its immediate invocation of darkness and its cathartic potential for both the growler and the listener, finding a unique blend of humor and pathos in the juxtaposition of gestural intent and and sonic expression.
Credits
concept, performance Diane Mahín
costume design Miruna Vlad
artistic advice Isadora Tomasi
vocal coaching Monica Janssen
residency GREENHOUSE
special thanks Rose Akras
this performance is supported by Amarte Fonds