Work/Travail/Arbeid, 2015 from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (still)
Performing dance as an exhibition in a museum is not a common practice. But i must say, a highly engaging experience for the viewer!
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, the famous Belgian dancer-choreographer (°1960) was invited by WIELS (Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels) to make an exhibition as a performance and a performance as an exhibition – this resulted in Work/Travail/Arbeid. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker re-interpreted her stage piece Vortex Temporum set to the music of Gérard Grisey, to fit the museum space and she re-casted the choreography as a 9-week long exhibition.
Work/Travail/Arbeid, 2015 from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (still)
Work/Travail/Arbeid, 2015 from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (still)
Dancers from De Keersmaeker’s dance company Rosas and musicians from the Ictus ensemble perform live in the museum spaces, over the entire opening hours of the exhibition, for nine weeks. It is a truly exceptional experience to witness the unfolding of this work. I found it totally hypnotising and before I realised I spent hours watching the dancers, the musicians and the visitors. The small kids that were present in the public were absolutely amazing to watch. I saw kids rolling on the ground, running circles, spurting through the whole performance, taking pictures of the dancers… It clearly resonated with them.
Work/Travail/Arbeid, 2015 from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (still)
Dancers re-draw a chalk circle of the pattern guiding the dancers
The exhibition will travel to Centre Pompidou, Paris (26.02 – 06.03.2016) and Tate Modern, London (July 2016), where it will be presented in a 9-day version.
Watch more works by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker: – Violin Phase on music by Steve Reich – Rosas Danst Rosas on music by Thierry De Mey and Peter Vermeersch – Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker talking about Fase performed in Tate Modern. Pictures in this post are taken by me.
FIELDNOTES 