Duration: 60 min, without intermission
World premiere: VOICES Festival,
RADIALSYSTEM, November 16-17, 2024
Choreography and Performance:
Igor Shyshko/Albina Vakhitova
Music artist: Adam Dove Nexcyia
Dramaturgy: Elke Van Campenhout
Stage and light design: Spela Tusar
Production: Kunst/Werk
Coproduction:
KVS, VOICES Festival and Site Art Projects
With support of: Flanders State of The Art
World premiere: VOICES Festival,
RADIALSYSTEM, November 16-17, 2024
Choreography and Performance:
Igor Shyshko/Albina Vakhitova
Music artist: Adam Dove Nexcyia
Dramaturgy: Elke Van Campenhout
Stage and light design: Spela Tusar
Production: Kunst/Werk
Coproduction:
KVS, VOICES Festival and Site Art Projects
With support of: Flanders State of The Art
IGOR SHYSHKO/
ALBINA VAKHITOVA - SPELL
We live in fearful times. As the news is reaching us from all sides of the world, talking about violence, about the loss of certainties, about the disregard for human lives and basic values, about the inflation of rights and civil protections, we can go two ways. Either we try to hide, or we can dive into the black hole and struggle our way through.
There is a power in repetition, that works almost like a spell. Repeating the same gesture over and over, charges it with a defiant power, a form of political resistance. Spell is an embodied incantation, that defies the impotence of our daily expressions to come to terms with what is happening all around, by reclaiming our defiant expressions and transforming them in a magical and durational gesture.
Spell is a ritual of overcoming anxiety through determination. A theatre of exhaustion and ambiguity. A durational choreography revealing the shadows that lurk in the depths of our daily endeavours to come to terms with political and existential burdens, the exhaustion, the irregularity, lightness and even comical figures that come out when the control is released.
For ‘Spell’, Igor Shyshko reveals the threadmill of daily life as a push into transformative exhaustion.
There is a power in repetition, that works almost like a spell. Repeating the same gesture over and over, charges it with a defiant power, a form of political resistance. Spell is an embodied incantation, that defies the impotence of our daily expressions to come to terms with what is happening all around, by reclaiming our defiant expressions and transforming them in a magical and durational gesture.
Spell is a ritual of overcoming anxiety through determination. A theatre of exhaustion and ambiguity. A durational choreography revealing the shadows that lurk in the depths of our daily endeavours to come to terms with political and existential burdens, the exhaustion, the irregularity, lightness and even comical figures that come out when the control is released.
For ‘Spell’, Igor Shyshko reveals the threadmill of daily life as a push into transformative exhaustion.
Igor Shyshko
Is a creator, performer, researcher, and dancer from Belarus. He came to Brussels for education at P.A.R.T.S. During that period, he worked as an assistant for the creation of 'Drumming' by Rosas. He was a permanent part of the Rosas company for 10 years, participating in numerous choreographies. He worked as a performer with Akram Kahn, Michele Noiret, Arco Renz, and Marc Vanrunxt, among others. In his quest for a personal dance language as a maker and choreographer, he created 'Darling' with Moya Michael, 'Precarryus' with Tale Dolven, and 'Malus'. These three performances have a stronger personal and research-oriented character. In these creations, he develops a reflection on the reality that surrounds him. A physically embedded investigation into the relationship between art, the artist, and the reality in which he lives.
Is a creator, performer, researcher, and dancer from Belarus. He came to Brussels for education at P.A.R.T.S. During that period, he worked as an assistant for the creation of 'Drumming' by Rosas. He was a permanent part of the Rosas company for 10 years, participating in numerous choreographies. He worked as a performer with Akram Kahn, Michele Noiret, Arco Renz, and Marc Vanrunxt, among others. In his quest for a personal dance language as a maker and choreographer, he created 'Darling' with Moya Michael, 'Precarryus' with Tale Dolven, and 'Malus'. These three performances have a stronger personal and research-oriented character. In these creations, he develops a reflection on the reality that surrounds him. A physically embedded investigation into the relationship between art, the artist, and the reality in which he lives.
Adam Dove Nexcyia
Is an African-American/ French sound artist, and experimental ambient musician based between London and Paris. Nexcyia's compositions seamlessly blend immersive sound design and textural soundscapes using elements of noise, granular synthesis, found sounds and rhythms. His work traverses various moods and emotions, delving into themes of otherness and belonging, using an approach of layering and manipulating archival audio sourced and compiled from home videos and the deep corners of the internet, his process results in everevolving pieces that invite listeners into a captivating sonic journey. Having performed at numerous venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, including locations such as the Barbican Centre, Institute of Contemporary Art, Cafe OTO, and Chisenhale Gallery, Nexcyia has established a notable presence in the ambient music scene with features in publications like 180 FACT, Wire Magazine, The Quietus, as well as, appearances on platforms such as NTS and BBC Radio. Nexcyia has performed with the likes of Caterina Barbieri, Kali Malone and Ulla and has been selected as part of SHAPE+ Platform 23/24. Nexcyia's debut album "Endless Path of Memory" is out via John Talabot's sub-label Pensaments Sonics (Hivern Discs). Other releases include “Crawl” on Alien Jams, “Origin” on Cafe OTO’s inhouse label Takuroku.
Is an African-American/ French sound artist, and experimental ambient musician based between London and Paris. Nexcyia's compositions seamlessly blend immersive sound design and textural soundscapes using elements of noise, granular synthesis, found sounds and rhythms. His work traverses various moods and emotions, delving into themes of otherness and belonging, using an approach of layering and manipulating archival audio sourced and compiled from home videos and the deep corners of the internet, his process results in everevolving pieces that invite listeners into a captivating sonic journey. Having performed at numerous venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, including locations such as the Barbican Centre, Institute of Contemporary Art, Cafe OTO, and Chisenhale Gallery, Nexcyia has established a notable presence in the ambient music scene with features in publications like 180 FACT, Wire Magazine, The Quietus, as well as, appearances on platforms such as NTS and BBC Radio. Nexcyia has performed with the likes of Caterina Barbieri, Kali Malone and Ulla and has been selected as part of SHAPE+ Platform 23/24. Nexcyia's debut album "Endless Path of Memory" is out via John Talabot's sub-label Pensaments Sonics (Hivern Discs). Other releases include “Crawl” on Alien Jams, “Origin” on Cafe OTO’s inhouse label Takuroku.
Albina Vakhitova
Is an artist, performer, choreographer, and movement director. Born in 1995 in Khabarovsk, Russia, she is currently based in Paris. Albina pursued her education in "History of Art" at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute V.I. Surikova. In 2020, Albina founded her own dance company called "SAAD," which has since become a platform for her innovative and collaborative works. Albina's artistic endeavours have earned her recognition on various platforms, including participation in the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art and the 2nd Triennial of Russian Contemporary Art. She has received support from renowned institutions such as MMOMA, Garage Museum, GES-2, and Institut Français. Throughout her career, Albina has collaborated with an array of esteemed choreographers, directors, artists, and composers from around the world, including Claudia Castellucci, Tatiana Chizhikova, Philippe Almeida, and Igor Shyshko, among others. She has also worked with acclaimed artists such as Kirill Serebrennikov and Pussy Riots. Albina's artistic approach is characterized by a unique blend of choreography, intuitive improvisation, and live art. She explores themes of performative transformation and cultural bricolage, drawing inspiration from elements such as dynamic sculpture, psychological reflection, and childlike innocence. The dance company "SAAD," founded by Albina, embodies her vision of integrating subjective experiences into performative pieces. The collective engages in regular collective practice, focusing on technical movement studies and defining physical qualities and intentions in live performances. Comprising artists from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience, "SAAD" has evolved into a large union of over 30 artists from around the world, reflecting Albina's commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in the arts.
Is an artist, performer, choreographer, and movement director. Born in 1995 in Khabarovsk, Russia, she is currently based in Paris. Albina pursued her education in "History of Art" at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute V.I. Surikova. In 2020, Albina founded her own dance company called "SAAD," which has since become a platform for her innovative and collaborative works. Albina's artistic endeavours have earned her recognition on various platforms, including participation in the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art and the 2nd Triennial of Russian Contemporary Art. She has received support from renowned institutions such as MMOMA, Garage Museum, GES-2, and Institut Français. Throughout her career, Albina has collaborated with an array of esteemed choreographers, directors, artists, and composers from around the world, including Claudia Castellucci, Tatiana Chizhikova, Philippe Almeida, and Igor Shyshko, among others. She has also worked with acclaimed artists such as Kirill Serebrennikov and Pussy Riots. Albina's artistic approach is characterized by a unique blend of choreography, intuitive improvisation, and live art. She explores themes of performative transformation and cultural bricolage, drawing inspiration from elements such as dynamic sculpture, psychological reflection, and childlike innocence. The dance company "SAAD," founded by Albina, embodies her vision of integrating subjective experiences into performative pieces. The collective engages in regular collective practice, focusing on technical movement studies and defining physical qualities and intentions in live performances. Comprising artists from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience, "SAAD" has evolved into a large union of over 30 artists from around the world, reflecting Albina's commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in the arts.
photos by Ilya Batrakov