Three print editions with different focus that complement and develop our understanding of contemporary dance
THE PHOTOBOOK
"The performer enters the space, picks a point on the horizon where he fixes his gaze, usually right above the people in the audience, and tries not to blink for as long as possible. The eyes water, they get blurry... ”
Nutricula / Impossible Actions is a two-part photography book which brings together two artists with very diverse biographies: Yasen Vasilev, whose experimental approach to poetry and drama gradually led him to dance and performance, and Martin Atanasov, whose photography has been featured in many exhibits of contemporary art in Sofia in recent years.
The three-day workshop Nutricula (the title comes from Turritopsis Nutricula, a jellyfish species that is the only immortal organism known to science) was held in April, and ten of its participants were selected to continue the rehearsal process in May. The chosen ones are Bratan Bratanov, Vasilia Drebova, Zhana Pencheva, Izabel Mitkova, Iskra Prodanova, Marian Marinov, Martina Apostolova, Mihail Bonev, Tsveta Doycheva, Tsvetina Matova, and Martin Atanasov is documenting the different stages of the process. All this lead to the performance Impossible Actions on May 20 and 21 in DNA, a joint production with the Radar Sofia artist residency and the informal platform Drama Pact.
The performance brings together Yasen Vasilev's long-standing ideas about how the physical solo in a dance piece can lead to a rethinking of the boundaries and capabilities of the body, its place in the social and personal environment. Meanwhile, for Atanasov, filming rehearsals in the spring and finishing the book in the summer are a way to experiment with the format of a book. In addition to the photography, he is also in charge of the graphic design of the book and its manual stitching. "The aesthetics of the book follows the aesthetics of the production. Seeking silence in white spaces, black and white as an element, the sound that appears from time to time through the noise of photos and prints, also slightly in the structure of the cardboard, which serves as the 'hardcover'. The edition itself has acquired the form of an object, but it is also very fragile – it turned into a metaphor for the fragility of the body, which is like a soft shell in which we live our lives."
He describes documenting this process as a very personal and intimate experience, made more special by the fact that they don't know what the end result will look like, even as they are working toward it. This project was also a rare case of symbiosis between the participants.
"The challenge is to blend in and become part of the environment. My wish is to become invisible to the performers. I want them to forget about me so I can capture them in a more natural state," says Atanasov. "I found myself in a really interesting situation, because I was not just behind the camera, I also felt part of the performance. And not just as an observer – there was contact and a connection established between all of us."
The two processes – documenting the performance and creating the book – are separate experiences for him. "When I make a book, I experience the project through the shape of the book, the material I will use, the colors, the textures."
Everyone is welcome to "do it at home": among the goals of the project is for readers who enter it to have the opportunity to repeat the movements themselves. "I want everyone who buys the book to be able to try and experience this alongside us."
Nutricula / Impossible Actions will be available for viewing and purchase from September 10 to 16 in One Book Bookstore at 8 Varbitsa Street.
The space, which presents and sells a single book title every week, will also show video documentation of the performance. The photography book in A3 format is printed in a limited edition of 100 copies.
Martin Atanasov, along with Krassimira Butseva and Vasil Vladimirov, is also the curator of the group exhibition No Artist Can Predict The Future at KO-OP.
THE MAGAZINE
It is quite heavy, literally so. Dance Magazine is published once a year and presents the most important developments in ballet and contemporary dance such as global and local trends, key figures and events. The magazine already has three issues, and the most recent one offers an in-depth look at the economic relief measures in the cultural sector, and what it means to be "independent" at the moment.
"The goal of Dance Magazine is to offer a contemporary perspective on the art of dance in its diverse forms. We are strongly motivated to bring together a roster of authors with interesting perspectives, who share their knowledge and views in a professional and accessible way," says Angelina Georgieva, editor-in-chief of the publication.
This does not mean that such writing has been completely absent so far. Georgieva points out that dance criticism in Bulgaria has never ceased to exist, but the media environment in our country makes it an increasingly specialized subject, mainly addressed in academic publications. Another problem is the lack of a new generation with a reliable presence in the writing and analysis of dance, which makes the genre dependent on the enthusiasm and efforts of individuals. Often they are dance practitioners themselves or come from the field of theater studies, theater practice, philosophy and culturology. "One of the reasons for this is the lack of structured education in ballet studies and the need to open it to the wider field of dance studies," says Georgieva.
The team behind the magazine is also committed to attracting experienced foreign authors to provide new perspectives and ways of writing. "We are also looking for sources of inspiration in international practices, both in terms of publishing and in terms of newer artistic processes that are being formed, which, so to speak, make it easier for us to find our approach and address broader subjects."
Has the scene changed in the last few years? "The dance scene seems quite insular. In our country it is highly fragmented, there is still a division between the ballet community and the various communities working in contemporary dance."
According to Angelina, we need to build trust in new voices and points of view. "And we need to arouse the curiosity and understanding among professionals, viewers and readers about the richness of the art of dance in the present day, and the way it reflects the important topics of the world we live in. What makes it easier and helps drive us is that we are authentic in our goals and intentions, and we do what we believe in. We always put the maximum amount effort into our work."
One of the indisputably positive phenomena she notes is that today audiences can choose between a number of different events, which makes the audience itself more diverse and numerous. "It strikes me that contemporary dance is attracting more and more artists from other fields, especially the visual arts, theater and music, as well as a young and critical generation of spectators."
On the cover of the latest issue is a shot from the performance Flags by choreographer Paula Rosolen, who was part of the Antistatic program and filled the Derida Dance Center earlier this year.
THE STUDY
Ani Vaseva, What is contemporary dance. Theatrical dimensions of contemporary dance in Bulgaria between 1989 and 2010
There is something funny about the director and co-founder of Meteor Ani Vaseva asking the question "what is contemporary dance?" in the title of her book. It seems to underscore the fact that some currents in art will always be met with surprise or misunderstanding by the general public.
The 2017 edition (which has a distinctive minimalist pink cover) is the most thorough study of contemporary Bulgarian dance and its roots, development, and artistic pursuits, whose struggle to survive has some unique aspects but also a lot of commonalities with the other arts.
The first part of the study is devoted to different approaches to the concept of "contemporary dance." "Our goal is not to answer the question 'What is dance', but to try to clarify why we cannot say with absolute certainty what it is," Ani Vaseva writes in the introduction.
The second part focuses on the different manifestations of this art form in the country, starting in 1989, and the many examples of it blurring the borders between certain genres and forms. This section also features interviews with artists who have contributed to the form in various ways, with a wide range of influences and approaches.
Leading Bulgarian choreographers often consider dance, its absence in some periods or its rapid development in others, against the backdrop of political processes in the country. For example, Mila Iskrenova sees dance as a victim of the socialist period, its ideological prohibitions and aesthetic taboos, which created a conservative dance community.
Dance also seems to easily fall victim to the persistent problems in the local environment. "My hope that the kind of change I've been imagining can take place is gradually fading," Iva Sveshtarova tells Vaseva, criticizing the way state cultural institutions employ people who are not interested in developments within the independent scene.
In 2017, the collective published another book: Choreographer's Handbook by Jonathan Burroughs, one of the leading soloists at the Royal Ballet in London in the 90s who subsequently developed his work in various new directions, including dance cinema. A year later, Selected theatrical pieces by Vaseva and Boyan Manchev, co-founder of the label, was published.
What is Contemporary Dance by Ani Vaseva and Choreographer's Handbook by Jonathan Burroughs can be found at www.desorganisation.org.
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