Cracow: Choreographic Machine 2015 to conclude with premiere of Iza Szostaks Excavatory Ballet and panel discussion

On Sunday, 8 November (7 pm) the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA in Cracow and curator Anna Królica will present the premiere of Iza Szostak?s Excavatory Ballet as part of The Choreographic Machine 2015 ? Schlemmer. Analogies. Caution! The presentation has been moped to a different Benue (HALA A, ul. Romanowicza 4).

Excavatory Balletis an attempt of a contemporary artist at tackling the work of Oskar Schlemmer (Bauhaus professor, German painter, theorist of art and reformer of dance) as well as his concept of movement. Schlemmer was fascinated by the mechanicality of movement of ballet dancers. He treated their bodies as forms and solids, finding in them a model of complicated relationships between man and the geometricized space.

An important part of preparing the project was for the artists to complete a training course for excavation equipment operators. The process of learning the machine?s motor control as well as gaining new skills (how to activate, control, and maneuver the machine) clearly brought to light the interdependence between man and object.

In her latest project Iza Szostak works with Schlemmer?s Triadic Ballet and translates it into the language of construction equipment. The artist is interested in the superiority of human over machines and machines over humans. At the same time the artist observes the bodies of dancers dressed in characteristic excavator operators? costumes which stand out with their own motor control (three-dimensional and re-scaled) and which, when ?put on?, enforce on dancers a specific behaviour and movement. The artist uses the mechanics of an excavator to take another look at human movement; the machine becomes a hybrid and an extension of the human body. The division between body and object disappears, excavators are performing specific choreography. What is created is a dance for two machines / a visual work / a music concert / a partial reconstruction of The Triadic Ballet.

Following the event will be a panel discussion (Cricoteka, 8:30 pm) Art without the performer? The place and importance of objects, machines and puppets in stage practice. The list of panellists includes Anna Królica, Katarzyna Lemańska, Katarzyna Słoboda, Iza Szostak, Mateusz Szymanówka and Karolina Wycisk.

Anna Królica on the panel discussion:

Starting with the stage practices of Tadeusz Kantor and Oskar Schlemmer (and the latter?s fascination with costumes made with various materials which significantly modified actors? bodies so that they resembled puppets or machines) we would like to attempt a discussion on the place of objects, puppets and machines in today?s choreographic practice. Are contemporary choreographers interested in Schlemmer?s intuition and research? How can we still benefit from the archives of Schlemmer?s and Kantor?s ideas?

More about the panel discussion and guest speakers

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Iza SZOSTAK is adancer and choreographer. She graduated from the Roman Turczynowicz Ballet School in Warsaw (2003) and Codarts ? Rotterdam Dance Academy in the Netherlands (2008). Szostak currently studies Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Warsaw. She was awarded scholarships of the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Dutch Corrie Hartong Fonds, the SPAZIO international platform for young choreographers, the Alternative Dance Academy Programme and the Solo Project organized by Art Stations Foundation. She was an apprentice of Jan Fabre?s company (Troubleyn) in Belgium. Her collaborations abroad include Michael Schumacher, Amy Raymond, Taldans and Anna Holter. Choreographer of the following performances: Karmi-go, Feedback, From Culture to Nature (Solo Projekt 2011, Stary Browar Nowy Taniec, Poznań), The Glass Jar Next to the Glass Jar (2012), Ciało. Dziecko. Obiekt [Body. Child. Object] (2013). Szostak collaborates with Kuba Słomkowski, visual artist and experimental musician. In her current artistic practice, Iza Szostak employs authentic movement and choreology; she cooperates with people who are not linked professionally to dance. She works as a scholar for SPAZIO ? an international project for young choreographers (supported by the European Union) and is a co-creator of the Warsaw-based Centrum w Ruchu [Center in Motion], finding much joy in teaching dance and movement composition.

Concept / choreography / performance: Iza Szostak
Choreographic collaboration / performance: Paweł Sakowicz
Dramaturgy / research: Anka Herbut
Stage design: Łukasz Kwietniewski
Music: Kuba Słomkowski
Curator: Anna Królica
Production co-ordinator: Dominik Skrzypkowski
Production: The Center for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka in Kraków, Body/Mind Festival, Burdąg Foundation, Center in Motion
Co-production: Body/Mind