The Percivals 2026

About the Artwork

This capture was taken alongside about 1,000 others during the technical rehearsal of the Dancenorth 40th anniversary work A Live Moment. In this part of the show, patrons could wander the building and happen upon unexpected moments, such as this one, occurring briefly for only a few people.

This moment took place in the change room, which served as both a functioning change room and set. It features Dancenorth ensemble member Michael Smith moving through the space and eventually wearing the mask on the counter. Michael is a performer/choreographer who grew up in regional Queensland and often works with themes related to queer identity.

Despite this being such a tiny moment in the scope of the show, I find that the spontaneity and speed of event documentation sometimes leads to capturing moments of slippage between the performance and raw vulnerability—and those are the most beautiful.

About the Artist

Tszar (Aaron Ashley) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores connection, alienation, environmental concerns, and performance through an often moody aesthetic. Their work is informed by a lifetime behind the camera, documenting arts events, an academic background in the social sciences, and a pervading dark sense of humour.

Tszar works across a broad range of interlacing mediums, including photography, videography, graphic design, visual arts, sculpture, writing, and projection mapping. This approach has led to their involvement in numerous multi-arts projects. They currently work as a part-time content designer for Dancenorth Australia.