The duo's
Wednesday 10th November 04 – deSingel. Organisation: Aisthesis
Theory and practice are often considered to be strange to one another. One has something the other doesn't. Many premises remain hidden, behind the concepts of theory and practice, linked to all kinds of preconceptions about intuition, ratio, perspectives on reality and so on. But theory and practice can also make a good couple. Especially in the contemporary performing arts, exchanges between theory and practice are increasing. There is much more collaboration between both in the preparation phase and on the studio floors. What does this collaboration produce? How does it happen? What does theory learn from practice and vice versa?
This symposium brought together several performing artists and dramaturges who found each other on the studio floor. In several ways, they tried to giver insight into what theory can mean for practice and the other way round. A report on what happens during rehearsal processes. How materials are researched and how this research is discussed. A view from inside.
Aisthesis is is an organisation that intends to initiate, support and (co-)produce projects that want to bring theory and artistic practice closer together. Reflection on the development of the performing arts is only possible when it is closely linked to the artistic practice, while on the other hand this practice benefits from reflection that sticks close to its object of research. In order to achieve this, Aisthesis organises colloquia, laboratory projects and research projects describing and analysing working methods that are relevant for and within the performing arts.
Traces
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Critic and performer Bojana Cvéjic speaks with choreographers Meg Stuart and Benoît Lachambre about their collaboration in Forgeries, love and other matters. Chaired by Tom Bonte (deSingel). In English. (45 min)
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Kurt Vanhoutte (University of Groningen, theatre scholar and dramaturge), Eric Joris (visual artist, theatre director for Crew) and Philippe Bekaert (University of Hasselt, physics rearcher) talk about their collaboration in the theatre productions of Crew. Chaired by Thomas Crombez (Aisthesis). In Dutch. (40 min)
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Jan Fabre (visual artist and director) and Luk Van den Dries (University of Antwerp, theatre scholar and dramaturg) speak about their collaboration. Chaired by Thomas Crombez (Aisthesis). In English. (50 min)
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Choreographer Hooman Sharifi and dramaturges Marianne Van Kerckhoven and Bojana Kunst speak about their working methods for the creation of Hopefully someone will take vengeance on me. Chaired by Steven De Belder (Sarma). In English. (40 min)
Note on the recording process: the afternoon was recorded on minidisk directly from the mixing board. Although a movable microphone was used, not all questions from the audience are clearly audible. The talk between Vanhoutte, Joris and Bekaert was mediated through a visual virtual reality set-up. The talk between Fabre and Van den Dries started with an excerpt of a film by Jan Fabre featuring Peter Sloterdijk and Dietmar Kamper. Hooman Sharifi was present through webconferencing, which is the cause for different recording dynamics.