Since there has been contemplation over the general question ‘What can be classified as art?’ over a series of different blog entries, I thought it was interesting when I found a fall festival in New York City called Crossing the Line. This is a festival put on by the French Institute Alliance Francaise, which combines several forms of art in innovative ways. The point of the festival is to erase the definitive and constricting lines between theater, dance, music, film and visual art. It is more about the person creating the art and just how inventive they can get when the boundaries of the art forms are taken down. One example of something that can be seen in this seventeen day festival is the piece by Willi Dorner called “Bodies in Urban Spaces,” which features human bodies, which are traditionally used for dance, intertwined to form a piece of visual artwork. Check it out here.
The article that Crossing the Line stemmed from in the Times began by questioning what exactly it is that we consider “dance” in today’s world, using the example of a choreographed piece where two people lock eyes for an hour and a half with only the minimalist, slightest movements. However, Crossing the Line has placed the seed of thought in my mind that maybe it is no longer important to fit everything into the specific categories of “dance” or “music” or “theater” but to decide whether it is worthy of our attention as art based on its originality and ability to make us think and feel.
“Bodies in Urban Spaces” really stood out to me as innovative and strange. It was very cool and thought provoking at the same time. I think two of the pieces in “Bodies in Urban Spaces” could have been a statement on urban life, and the concentration of the human population. But perhaps that is too literal. The whole festival does seem very interesting though.
~Shirley Mak
I agree. I have never seen anything so creative and unique as “Bodies in Urban Spaces”. I also found it very interesting that the people were dressed in various bright colors rather plain colors to blend in with the objects, which I believe that there is a purpose for the “bodies” to stand out.
The bodies in Urban space was very creative and interesting. I also found the music on the “teaser” to be rather interesting. It was written by Tyondai Braxton, who is the son of an innovative composer named Anthony Braxton. I’m ading both of those names to the “Name Dropping” list.