One channel video, color, stereo sound, duration 21:27 min

Molting, shedding, renewal, change, cyclicality.
A physiological, physical understanding of what needs to be renewed. The life force is cyclical.

“Eclipse plumage” is a concept in wild duck research describing a cyclical physiological response in which, once the breeding season ends, they shed their feathers to replace them with new ones. During this period, not only does their appearance change—especially in males, who lose their green color and come to resemble females—but they also become more vulnerable due to their inability to fly and the exposure of their skin.

The video work “Eclipse Feathers” (21:27) was created as a collaboration between artist Avigail Blum and choreographer Yarden Bareket. The video work is a documentary recording of a four-hour studio session, to which two dancers in a long-term romantic relationship were invited. In the video, Bareket creates a duet for the couple and guides the dancers through a story of shedding, incorporating her own experience in her relationship and the dynamics between the two dancers.

The choreography explores the removal of masks—both visual and behavioral—that we put on at the beginning of a romantic relationship to impress our new partner, and the shedding of these masks once the relationship has become established. Growth and maturation within a relationship require a supportive and enabling space, one that understands the importance of progress and does not hinder or obstruct it.