Field Study No.1

Field Study No. 1 is a dance installation performance. Basically the construction of the installation is the performance and the installation is the outcome of the performance.

The piece is based on a series of concepts, such as stacking, aligning and so on, which are then associated with the objects. Thus all of the dancers' actions, in so far as they involve an object, are systematic and, in principle, reproducible. The connections between objects give rise to a rich field of associations and "conceptual blends". The intermittent "dance movements" derive from the objects and their interrelations through various direct or metaphorical operations.

There are two versions: one with found material and one with a set list of material. The dance and the installation are different on each occasion. After each performance visitors can visit the installation and watch a video recording of its construction. At the end of the day the installation is dismantled and rebuilt during the next performance. Visitors can thus compare different installations.

The piece was inspired by the work of Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner on conceptual blending and the work of the French philosopher Jacques Rancière. If you look carefully, you can find various art historical references to Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Beuys and Jason Rhoades, among others.

Museums and galleries are always closed during the installation of new exhibitions. I always wondered how large scale installations such as those by Jason Rhoades were actually set up and wished that it was not hidden from view.

The video recording was a try-out. Thank you to all the people who came to see us despite the torrential rain.