Richard Siegal. art.Life

In the organizer's words:

For years, choreographer Richard Siegal has been fascinated by "Shudan Kodo", Japanese precision walking. In this unique discipline, groups of athletes move with the utmost precision in synchronized formations. It combines an extraordinary blend of discipline, aesthetics and collectivity that captivates with both its visual power and technical perfection.

In 2022, Richard Siegal then traveled to Japan to study it and further develop his choreographic experiences from its strict principles. In 2024, he returned to Yokohama and worked with the Shudan Kodo master Jiro Omi on his choreography "Collective Action". Here, two dancers from the Ballet of Difference and 53 Japanese athletes immersed themselves in an interplay between the edgy electronic sounds of alva noto and the video lighting design by Matthias Singer and fantomas. The result is a groundbreaking perspective on the subordination of the individual to the collective in the digital age. A separate camera shot from different angles outside and inside the choreography itself forms the basis for the video installation "art.Life".

In an examination of the technocratic tendencies of our digitally shaped reality, "art.Life" poses fundamental questions about our time: Where is the boundary between technology and our bodies? How are our behaviors and relationships controlled by the digital systems in which they are embedded?

A production by Muffatwerk Munich in co-production with Richard Siegal | Ballet of Difference and Synaesthetica. With the kind support of the Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting and the Nippon Sport Science University. "art.Life" is presented by International DANCE Festival Munich in cooperation with the Lenbachhaus.