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A Spoon Full of Sugar

Performance by Holly Timpener

A Spoon Full of Sugar is an 8 hour durational performance taking place in the foyer of the Spencer Mansion at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Each spoon of sugar Timpener carries up the stairs possesses an invitation to discover something new about themself. Each time Timpener powders their face, they embrace an opportunity to consider and reconstruct normative gender expectations. The marks they leave on the rope draped along the stairs indicate a collaboration of asking for and accepting help along their journey. This performance exhibits an intimate journey of internal transformation and personal discovery, emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance and offering hope to others on a similar journey.

As a Fem, non-binary person, Holly Timpener is often resisting normative spoon-fed gender ideologies. It took them a long time to realize that they can look however they want and be the gender they know they are. In their life, Timpener has struggled with self-image and body dysmorphia along with gender dysphoria. They have moved through life performing for others, so they didn’t have to encounter their internal self. They thought it would be easier this way. In A Spoon Full of Sugar, Timpener uses time to transform their desire to please others. The artist invites the tension of uncomfortability to teach them how sweet it can be to move through the struggles of life focused on their desires.

Join us for the preceding talk with Holly Timpener at Camosun College:
ARTIST TALK

About Holly Timpener:

Holly Timpener, MA is a queer, non-binary performance artist focused on queer resistance and transformation. Using performance to explore their identity and societal connections, they address themes of gender, intimacy, trauma and the body, emphasizing trust, power, control and resistance. Timpener embodies “The Personal Is Political,” blending personal experiences with community research.

Their international residencies and festival participations include Month of Performance Art – Berlin (2013), Nuit Blanche – Calgary (2014), Nuit Blanche – Toronto (2015) and multiple collaborations with La Pocha Nostra. Timpener’s work has been featured at The Art Gallery of Ontario and Espacio Centro Gallery, among others. Recent performances include the Venice International Performance Art Week (2020) and the Drip Performance Festival (2020).

In 2024, they were a resident artist at Casa Museo in Mexico City, showcasing their work at Mexico Art Week. Timpener’s art challenges societal norms, fostering dialogue and understanding about gender and identity.