Everything brings us back to the body says Achille Mbembe in his 2020 essay “The universal right to breathe”, written as a response to the first covid lockdowns. The same year Ehsan Hematstarted the preliminary research for this work which explores the physical possibilities in relation to an 18-kilo brass sheet and uses the poetry of Rumi and Gaia theory as departure points to play with reflection and echo. The resulting performance is a duet between the human and non-human as equal partners, a dialogue between the body and the core of the earth, using movement, sound and voice, and honouring the violent histories behind the beautiful imagery- histories of exploitation, ecological degradation, and a denied right to breathe.
Achille Mbembe: A prominent Cameroonian philosopher and historian, known for his work on postcolonialism and African philosophy. His statement about the body's centrality during the pandemic highlights the embodied experience of illness and isolation.
Rumi: A 13th-century Persian poet, mystic, and theologian whose works often explore themes of love, spirituality, and the unity of all things.
Gaia theory: A scientific hypothesis that proposes that the Earth is a self-regulating system comprising all living organisms and their physical environment.
Choreography and performance / Ehsan Hemat Dramaturgy / Yasen Vasilev Sounddesign /Roeland Luyten Scenography / Erki De Vries Light design / Kurt Lefevre Voice coach / Selma Banich Dramaturgical advice / Hildegard De Vuyst Production / Julie De Clercq / 2nd to the right Co-production / Monty, C-TAKT, MC93, DansiT Developed atLAGeste With the support of the Flemish Community, STUK, nona International distribution StepTurnMove
Tour dates: 15 February 2026 - MC93, Bobigny, FR 14 February 2026 - MC93, Bobigny, FR 13 February 2026 - MC93, Bobigny, FR 12 February 2026 - MC93, Bobigny, FR 05 February 2026 - STUK, leuven, be 15 november 2025 - C-TAKT, dommelhof, be 17 october 2025 - cc Ter delft, antwerp be 23 April 2025 - Toplo Centrala, Sofia, BG 02 April 2025 - Kunstencentrum Nona, Mechelen, BE 14 march 2025 - Monty, Antwerp, BE 13 march 2025 - Monty, Antwerp, BE 12 march 2025 - Monty, Antwerp, BEPremiere