HUMAMMAL RECORDING #2
Performed at Lutakka –
Jyväslylä, Finland on the 11th of June 2009 at the occasion of
Graphica Creativa Triënnale 2009
Hans Karelszoon Van Dijck & Eveline Van Bauwel
Time
and space play a key role in the work of Hans Karelszoon Van Dijck and Eveline
Van Bauwel. The performers strip both time and space of every abstraction in
order to allow both concepts to play an active role in the making of their
work. They do not manipulate time and space, they create the conditions to have
time and space weaved throughout their work.
As
far as the practical nature of the performance is concerned, two copper plates
of 2m² are attached to the ground and surrounded by a thin plexi wall of about
10 inches high. Other objects include pencil and charcoal, shoes and gloves of
the dancer (equipped with steel spikes) and her fur coat. As such, a limited
piece of space emerges, squarely shaped, combined with a specific moment in
time defined by start and ending of the performance. Next to the space we find
a small square table, for the use of drawing by Hans K. Van Dijck. Each stroke
of his pen, each dancing movement, every act by (someone of) the audience is
literally unique, i.e. entirely dependent on the time and space of the act.
The
performance is a very ‘physical’ one. She dances and he draws but aside from
that, every act by both players is recorded in detail. By using several
microphones around the space for example, every sound is clearly discernable:
the sound of steel on copper, the bits and pieces of dialogue between the
players, even the physical act of drawing can be heard by the audience. As a
bystander, the absence of any form of structured sound (music) is not missed,
instead it seems a necessary prerequisite to grasp the intriguing tension
between both players. The attention is automatically drawn to the dancing
woman, the personification of the ‘Humammal’ (cf.infra). The interaction
between Van Bauwel and Van Dijck by means of dancing, drawing or observation is
captured as intense and somewhat enigmatic.
At
a certain point, Van Dijck throws a piece of bread into the space. It’s a
random act which provokes a random reaction by the dancer. In this case, she
kicks the piece of bread. It’s a gesture which emphasizes the animalistic
character of the show, hence ‘Humammal’. The Humammal is a human being with
overtly cat-like anatomic features. The woman dances in a basic, primitive,
nearly animalistic way, for that matter. In his previous work, Hans Karelszoon
Van Dijck already showed his interest in the ‘animal condition’. In this work,
the point of departure is formed by the behavior of animals, their motives or
intentions which is evenly applicable to the ‘human condition’.
Towards
the end of the performance, an actual animal acts as an active player, when
Hans K. Van Dijck releases a white mouse in the space. The animal immediately
explores the surroundings and runs around aimlessly. Shortly thereafter, both
players disappear, leaving the mouse alone in the limited space.
I
witnessed an interesting performance, undoubtedly preceded by a lot of
preparation, reflection and research. In this sense, the mouse was given
birth by a mountain. For the spectator, who is left behind with the remains
of the show, e.g. the dancers’ fur coat, the drawing table and the drawings,
the performance has come to a halt. But for Hans Karelszoon Van Dijck, whose
background is to be found in the graphic arts, the remaining traces equal the
raw material for a number of etches. These etches, accompanied by the drawings
he made, the dancers’ fur coat and a DVD recording of the entire happening,
form the basis of an installation which could be visited at the Graphica Creativa Triënnale 2009.
(AVD Bloempot,
31 May 2010)