Hey dear melting humans,
I thought to write to you a little bit earlier than the promised ‘once-a-month’-rhythm. The heatwave if hitting us hard, and reminds us we have ticklish sweaty bodies. While we all try to deal with this smelly moist immersion, June is flying by. This month was and still is super packed with beautiful works to experience.
I have for you the shows with a buzz to keep an eye on. And there are 2 new additions to the website: studentexpo’s and some light reading tips (reviews, essays, youtube docs). I made a subselection here for you in this newsletter.
I was wondering if more niche writing about the immersive field is interesting to you? Something like the think tank report by Kent Bye for IDFA DocLab. Sent me thumbs up if you’d like more references like that.
And I wanted to nudge you: PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR IMMERSIVE ART PLANS FOR THIS SUMMER AND FALL. So I can highlight them on the calendar. On the bottom you find my call for the immersive TIPLINE!
❤ Nienke
p.s. Bonus sweat fact: sweat itself is odorless. The smell only happens when bacteria on your skin break it down. You're not sweating stink — you're fermenting it.
3 Reading tips on immersive art
EEN GEZAMENLIJKE DROOM - by Roelof ten Napel in de Groene Amsterdammer - on Germaine Kruip’s A POSSIBILITY during Holland Festival.
‘Een vouw, een schaduw, licht, een horizon – het is niet makkelijk woorden te geven aan A Possibility van Germaine Kruip. Indrukwekkend, dat tussengebied.’
> Read it hereDE MINDFUCK ‘Before the Story Starts’ IS EEN HOOGTEPUNT OP THEATERFESTIVAL OEROL - by Sander Janssens in Volkskrant.
‘Weinig is zo wonderschoon én angstaanjagend als het oneindige potentieel van de seconde vóór het begin. In Before the Story Starts loopt Thomas Dudkiewicz vast in dat uitgerekte moment: hij weet welk verhaal hij wil vertellen, maar het waarom is hem ontglipt.’
> Read it hereIMMERSIVITIJD by Niek van Remmerden. —- two years ago Niek graduated with a documentary (or investigation of sorts) why the word immersive became so popular and influential in his art field. He interviewed a broad spectrum of makers and edited a 1-hour-doc as his graduation project. As a light ego-document on how he stepped into the world of immersiveness, you will see his journey in interviewing key artists in the field like Puck van Dijk, Dries Verhoeven and program DigitALL director Tanja Zuijderwijk. A very pleasant, humoristic and lightly critical piece.
> Watch it here
Shows with a buzz this month
TRAVERSING THE MIST
by CHOU Tung-Yen
Inside a surreal gay sauna, you find yourself embodied in the body of a young Taiwanese man — woven by desires, excitements, and fears. On 17th july CHOU Tung-Yen will give an artist talk about this VR experience and the themes of intimacy and desire.
✴ Review: “The most intimate and overwhelming encounter is likely the one in Traversing the Mist by Taiwanese artist Tung-Yen Chou” - Joost Broeren-Huitenga, Het Parool
BEFORE THE STORY BEGINS
by Urland
It stole the hearts of the Oerol visitors: a immersive one-man performance on the threshold before a story begins. Try outs from 16 September and touring till 31st October.
✴ Review: ‘In an old warehouse, rows of speakers are set up in a dimly lit performance area. With precise playing and inimitable diction, Dudkiewicz conjures a labyrinthine haunted house from this abstraction, symbolizing his churning artist's mind. Within it, clever, lustful, manipulative, and frustrated versions of himself roam, to whom Dudkiewicz asks in vain for directions to the beginning. - Sander Janssens, De Volkskrant
OPSTAND
by Company Marte Boneschansker
A theatrical audio and performance and collective exercise in resistance. Discover the rebel in yourself. From mass demonstrations to quiet protest: resistance is part of being human. OPSTAND is a hopeful attempt to get the silent majority moving.
✴Personal anecdote: I experienced this gripping piece in december. What I totally underestimated is how the mechanics of oppression in principle wordless, non-verbal structure you intuitively unexpectadly surrender to so easily. Boneschansker merges the fierce monologues and vulnerable stories about resistance beautifully in an audio track. While your cognition tries to keep up, your body is being manipulated in taking and surrendering space without you noticing. To rebel is to check-in and feel your body. — A super powerful piece. A must see, to understand the world at present here and in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan. Everywhere.
MESSAGES TO A POST HUMAN EARTH
by Anagram
Till 1st of July you can roam Vondelpark in Amsterdam with this beauty of an audio/augmented reality experience. Get your ticket at IDFA (Documentaire Paviljoen). It’s an experience for two. And yes, i’m tipping this one now for a second time, because it’s your last chance to experience this iconic piece.
If you have new work launching and showing this summer or fall. Please let me know, so I can forecast your blood sweat and tears to an immersion hungry audience. Mail me at hello @ studiozzzap dot nl. Or fill in the form on the websiteimmersiveartcalendar.com