Together with the people of Differdange the moving installation What Was(h) will be performed at the wash house.
The wash house was a place of stories. Also of a weekly ritual. And also of cleaning away traces. Although the place is old and not more in use, the stories are still there, and so are the traces. We just have to make them visible (again) in the now.
Together with everyone who wants to participate, we will make the place alive again by going into contact with what is, what was and what might have been. This will be a community dance/theatre project, in which every participant will create and be taken on their own journey in relation to the site of the wash house. We will work with the key elements of the place, which are washing and stories, in guided movement exercises and theatrical research and explore the site together. This exploration will in the end emerge into a large group performance, that is site specific, namely at the wash house itself. An ephemeral happening, like also the told stories were ephemeral, but that will leave its traces in memory.
This project is for everyone from Differdange and radically inclusive, meaning anyone who wants to participate, can participate, regardless of age, movement experience or else – it is a true community project aiming for a big group of people participating (the more, the better). The planning of the project is to be negotiated and will also depend on the availability of the participants. This project will be from the people of Differdange, for the people of Differdange, to open a new view on the wash house through performance.
(It is planned that after the performance a film or photo installation of the project will stay in the wash house for the rest of the year.)
Image: AS IF by Sacha Vera for FOCAR, Companhia Instável – Porto. Photo: Joana Rodrigues
3 Responses
I’m impressed by the “radical inclusive” approach of this concept.
Although I understand the charme of an ephemeric performance it would be nice to have something that remains as a “memory” of the event throughout the Esch2022 year – maybe just a simple video projection showing the act and making it available to those who have missed it.
Dear Conradin,
Thank you for taking the time to write. Yes, definately, I was thinking of either film footage or a photo exibition to remember the performance by that can stay in the wash house for a longer time.
Kind wishes,
Sacha
I still love to remember the Vladimir Malakow’s flashmob of the Staatsballett in the central station of Berlin. The documentation though is very poor and has no artistic value at all.
I’m sure you’ll do better than that !:-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amLsXY4-zP0