I. Intro

A face (in German: Ge-sicht) is something that faces outside and is faced by the outside. The act of putting make-up on is an autoreferential act of self-design and needs a mirror to make sure that the face’s owner sticks to the face’s topography. In ‘Intro’, the mirror is replaced by the camera as gaze from outside – showing the performer’s mislead image of her own face.

II.  Fremdkörper // Foreign body

In everyday language, hypochondria signifies a fear-dominated relation to one’s own body and its bodily functions. This movement series is built from medical diagnosis tests (as ‘Brudzinski’s signs’, ‘Kernig’s sign’ and ‘Obraztova’s sign’) that allow the performing body to continuously check on itself, its performance, functionality and reliability.

III. Pas de deux

Playing with materiality: The animate body encounters the both flexible and rigid qualities of PVC carpets in the filmroom. Object and subject reverse roles. This contact improvisation is based on physical laws and forces, employing resistance and adjustment, protrusion and indentation. The title refers also to the ambuigity of the French “pas” meaning both ‘step’ and being part of the negation: “Ein Körper ist eine unterschiedene Kraft und mehrere andere dazu (…) Das ‘Gegen’ ist die wichtigste Kategorie des Körpers.” (Jean-Luc Nancy)

IV. In promptu

This last sequence deals with intimacy and inwardness, showing a preparation to a dance (that could follow). In the process of warming-up, attentiveness and commitment to the performer’s body can be seen, featuring a dialogue between arms, legs and torso. ‘In promptu’ plays with the non-exhibitionistic moment of ‘getting ready’, of being not yet present, presenting the state of beforeness.