A virgin sacrificed

Afterwords: Jérôme Bel, Jérôme Bel

DerStandard.at / ImPulsTanz.com 10 Jul 2002English

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Contextual note
This text is part of the project Afterwords, curated by Jeroen Peeters for the festival ImPulsTanz Vienna in summer 2002. Every night, three critics in residence shared their impressions and thoughts on the performances immediately after having seen them, in an act of instantaneous writing. During the process of writing, these comments were projected in the theatre lobby and later that night made available on the websites http://www.impulstanz.com and http://derstandard.at.
A selection of the texts by Jeroen Peeters is available on Sarma, in a slightly edited version, sometimes with a postscript. Two essays elucidate the project Afterwords and reflect on its poetical and political implications. To retrieve the material, search under: ‘Afterwords’.

1. Bodies:
Bodies, both naked and dressed, staged 'naturally', being natural, performing everyday actions:
walking
standing
sitting
lying
breathing
watching
singing
shouting: "Dass ist tatsächlich das Ende der Kunst!" (performing? being natural?)
hitting
writing
...

2. Letters & numbers:
Séguette Frédéric
Claire Haenni
Thomas Edison
Stravinsy Igor (for the occasion without 'k')
1,69
63
1435,33
0043676843206534
(blank)
...

3. Bodies + Letters & numbers (potential):
rouge
tattoo
birthmark
fingernail
hair
"Christian Dior"
"Chair"
lipstick
...

4. Bodies + Letters & numbers (act, choreography):
One performer hits the other one.
The flesh responds: "Aie".
Because it is being hurt?
Because it is being marked?
This ambiguity is staged as real drama –
– light! Thomas Edison’s light bulb
– music! Igor Stravinsky's ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’

A virgin sacrificed.