in'lakech
Configuring cognitive intimacy to the form of a black chair, this short film depicts a performer moulding themselves to the structure of the material/prop. Exploring this relationship, the movement explored ranges from spectrum of rigidity/firmness in material, balance/imbalance (forms of teeter), smoothness in texture, failure/falling/gravity, weight, push/pull, bend/extend, and restriction/support; Taking the time to understand the body of the chair and how that can symbolize the duality of choice; Playing with ideas of “oneness” of my body and the chair’s body.
Sourced from an Instagram post, “Ecology Words That Don’t Exist in English (but should)”: Originating from the Yucatec Maya language, “this greeting, [in lak’ech], can be translated into English as “I’m another you,” to which a respondent utters la k’in, “you’re another me.” These terms remind participants that they share a spiritual affiliation that supersedes the spatial and temporal constraints of individual bodies and personal identities.”
Source: @atmos & John Esposito (Yucatec Maya is spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula and northern Belize.)
Experimenting with spacial contrast and “oneness” allows the body itself to explore themes of support and patience while also experiencing themes of risk, unpredictability, chance, and impulse. There’s a humour with watching the performer experience their own exploration by mimicking/exaggerating the function of the object: exploring the capacity of the object. For example, when things go unexpectedly, or the absurdity of climbing in interesting, inverted positions on a chair.
Presented by The Garage Toronto (2022)