FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, the two dance artists Reza Mirabi and Roland Walter have been going into the studio and developing a practice based upon mediation. Mediation, in this sense, involves how technology has not only expanded the myriad ways humans can interact but also shaped those interactions. When the artists met in 2014, Roland’s assistant was always present and acted as the mediation agent to help them communicate. But when entering the dance studio, the artists went alone, and began to use objects, tools as well as their bodies to mediate; to deepen their conversation and relationship and ultimately to foster an intimacy that without these agencies wouldn’t have been possible. For this year’s Tanztage Berlin, the artists were invited to develop a piece that draws from these years of developing their relationship and the practice that unfolded. The artists are constantly observing the shifts in their dialogue and the fostering or obscuring of new forms. They examine beyond the social norms our perceptions of communication and physical difference. The intimacy of this dialogue, which even just language-wise is impossible, leaves behind a fragile, physical sculpture in the room. Who or what is then acting in a culture of constant mediation? This piece functions as a practice to explore the foundation of our human interactions and question our assumptions about communication outside of social norms and the agency of those with unique ability. It evokes emotional images in the space, which is constantly being re-formed by the dancers. The dancers, objects, and audience become intimately coupled; the borders between the agent and mediating form are obscured, and the space deepens to allow the dance to arise. Through this process, innumerable interfaces of mediation are revealed which facilitate the exploration of our understanding of communication, and challenge the presence of unseen barriers.

REZA MIRABI works in the interface between exhibition and performance, creating hybrid formats and sci-fi scenarios that immerse the visitor immersively into the future.

ROLAND WALTER is a dancer, model, photographer and author with disabilities. He works as an Inclusive Ambassador and organizes Roland’s Artist Ramp in the Theaterhaus Mitte.

[Source: play bill]

TFB Nr. 1152