Getting intimate | Annaporva Green | TEDxNYU

Quick Overview

Annaporva Green argues that the creative work she does, informed by her background growing up in a nomadic tribe in India that communicated only orally, requires her to constantly navigate the difference between intent and impact, particularly in performance settings where her vulnerable self is exposed to an audience.

Key Points: The speaker was raised in a nomadic tribe in India that communicated exclusively through oral language, which heavily informed her approach to art. Her artistic practice explores the gap between intent and impact, using her personal history of emotional and cultural navigation as a foundation. She highlights an exercise called 'The Handshake' where participants experience the difference between a 'yes' and a 'no' when stakes are low versus high, demonstrating that boundaries are crucial. During a performance of her post-colonial Filipino space opera, 'Brought Up,' she and her team meticulously choreographed movements to avoid physical intimacy while still conveying emotional connection. She discusses the feeling of discomfort she experienced when exposing her personal vulnerabilities (her 'intimate hyper-exposure of self') during performances, contrasting it with the need to maintain safety. The speaker concludes that understanding the dynamics between intent and impact, and acknowledging the power structures inherent in performance, is essential for navigating creative work and relationships while remaining accountable.

Context: Annaporva Green delivers a TEDxNYU talk titled "Getting Intimate," drawing parallels between her upbringing in an oral-only nomadic tribe in India and her current work as a theater artist, designer, and director. She uses personal anecdotes, such as directing a post-colonial Filipino space opera called 'Brought Up,' to illustrate the crucial distinction between one's intention and the actual impact of their actions or art on others, especially when dealing with vulnerability and consent.

Detailed Analysis