Chris Bond: Fictional play

Chris Bond’s collaboration with channelled Norwegian black metal artist Tor Rassmussen created controversy when the artists were included in Magic Object, the 2016 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Rassmussen was said to have been operating Bond’s jaw and tongue to name their book works amongst other unsettling acts. Since then, Bond has collaborated with other artists who engage in occultist practices. In such collaborations Bond uses what he terms “fictional play”, or the performing of multiple invented artistic alter-egos during the initial stages of form generation in his practice. To become disembodied, Bond can be inspired by the lyrics of a song, a concept or materials. In the guise of the new character he writes open-ended stories to develop their biographies, and in-depth descriptions of their artistic practices using a layered style of writing that can be classed as autofiction.