fruitful and multiply
2019
Premiere: The Place, may 2019, London
Perfromed at: Chisenhale Dance space, november 2019, london
Be fruitful and multiply fuses artificiality and exaggerated devotion towards plastic, to reveal the absurdity of our attitude towards the environment.
the performance was born from a fascination with the Renaissance and early Baroque phenomena of sprezzatura; a social attitude of studied nonchalance. Sprezzatura was all about showing power in the most non-efficient and aimless way.
The motion of plastic bags embodies pure sprezzatura, manifesting freedom of movement, laziness and, most importantly, immortality.
The piece focuses on the ambiguous nature of plastic bags; on their elegance and ugliness, as well as their daunting ability to adopt different life forms.
It is based on compositions from Baroque paintings, where characters are entwined in a very dynamic way, mostly in catastrophic scenes.
“By confounding reverence for the environment with devotion to one of its principal pollutants, Nauman satirizes our blindness to ecological destruction.” – Nicholas Minns
“Comic genious! ” – Stella Rousham
“Work which confronts modern issues with an arch, ironic gaze.” – Izzy Rogers
Credits:
concept, direction, choreography, costumes: Alka Nauman
performers: Lucie Palazot, Keity Pook, Shum Pui Yung, Leilah Simone Williams
Music: Sileant Zephyri (fragment from Filiae Maestae Jerusalem) by Antonio Vivaldi, music consultant Jamie McCarthy
Light design: Michael Mannion
Production: The Place, parade
photos: Rocio Chacon
trailer: rocio chacon
contact: prod@collectifparade.com
alka nauman is a multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, dancer, movement director and author of texts.sometimes antisocial always antifascist! 