by Brett Humbard
Daily Lobo
You might have to suspend your disbelief to engage in an upcoming Albuquerque convention.
Southwest Suscon will bring the art of body suspension to Albuquerque this weekend - but it's not intended for the faint of heart.
The event will be hosted by local suspension performance collective Ascension Suspension and will take place at 1814 Broadway Blvd. S.E. from Friday to Sunday.
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"It's going to be awesome and tons of chaos," suspension artist and student Rachel Berardinelli said. "There are going to be people from all over the country, as well as the world."
Body suspension is a performance art that uses body modification techniques, such as piercing, to suspend the human body in midair. Usually, piercing is performed on-site with hooks that resemble large, deep-sea-fishing hooks - minus the
painful barbs.
"Every suspension for me is different," Berardinelli said. "With the resurrection (suspension), it was the most painful. Suicide (suspension) is the most fun, and the lotus (suspension) is the most
relaxing."
Berardinelli said her favorite method is resurrection suspension, where the body is suspended solely from
the chest.
Suicide suspension is a vertical suspension achieved with one to four hooks through the skin of the upper back. Lotus suspension is similar to the suicide suspension, but hooks placed in the skin of the legs help the artist remain in a yoga posture.
In addition to suicide, lotus and resurrection, a person can choose to suspend from the feet and even the face.
Fellow suspension artist and student Santiago Gonzales said the suspension experience differs between public and private suspensions.
"If it's at a show, it's more for show," Gonzales said. "But if it is not, then it is more personal and relaxing. It becomes very euphoric."
During the convention, you can take in the art or become a part of it. It costs $75 to suspend and $50 to pull the ropes for another suspension artist. But even if suspension isn't for you, you can check out the brave souls for $10 per day or $20 for a weekend pass. And if you decide to participate in suspension or pulling, you will get a free weekend pass.
"I plan on taking part in a group suspension that is trying to break a world record," Berardinelli said. "There are four of us girls on the team who are going to hang from another person who is suspended himself."
Berardinelli and Gonzales first tried the art form in January 2006.
"The first time I saw suspension was five years ago in Santa Fe, and I really wanted to try it," Berardinelli said.
Gonzales said the performance intrigued him.
"I remember wanting to do it because I wondered if I could do it," Gonzales said.
Southwest SusCon
1814 Broadway Boulevard S.E.
Friday-Sunday
Noon-8 p.m.
$10-$75
