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PETER, raum
PETER, (raum) Xing (IT). 2017
PETER, (raum). Peter is now preparing a new piece, that will be explored at Raum, for which he wishes that PETER, the title and author of the work, promises an authority but does not deliver, as the work moves between points of relevance and attention not allowing or promoting any one attribute as more important. In an almost ironic fashion PETER and its material use language, convention, and hierarchy as a means to keep moving and eventually gather around something else. Could the promise of instability of meaning provide a language so malleable, so dynamic and shifting that it would not get stuck in the binary of included and excluded. Nothing would become religious nor sacred, the gathering would amass around individuals’ experiences, enabling the shift and redefinition of the focus of the performance, together with others. Could such a dynamic provide the possibility for a slight gasp, a unarticulated noise or expression of discomfort or insecurity to become present and relevant as “bare life”? In the first step of the project, PETER, 6 minutes, which premiered behind the curtains of Stockholm’s Opera House stage, Peter used distraction to re-choreograph the audiences’ attention and gaze, challenging their production of value and assumed meaning. The orchestration of the attention moved the performative mode between formal and informal, putting the situation into question, into flux. It is this space in between which he’s interested to explore in his Bologna residency.
“In uncanny expressions, gaps are created and filled, connections made in unexperienced ways.” This is the mood in which Peter delves his guests. “Deconstructing the experience of meaning production, and cultural manufacture. Doubting convention with the experiencing of other voices, and cultures yet to be. Emphasising accessibility in difference, and specificity rather than generalisations. Juxtaposing the performance itself with conventional performance which is static and reproducible. PETER opens up for specificity of location, time, audiences and their unique relations, by doubting the very existence of PETER.”
PETER is a choreographer, a dance maker, a dance dance dance… maker, a dance, a dancer, a person, a bodies, a community, an activist, an anarchist, an artist, art, a child, a cleaner, a candidate, a biography, a list, a ex-, a non-ex-, a title, a name, a document, a history, a challenge, an author, a moment, a smart ass, an annoyance, a liar, not peter, alive, another, a promise, practice, problem, performance, place, position, parameter, predictable, pest, pretence, plan, pipe, pop, pfff…
No longer do I understand this as a description of PETER. To remember, recollect aspects components and trajectories of the performance PETER. As PETER is the very thing which attempts to define and understand PETER therefore the word PETER bests informs PETER on PETER and PETER’s limits, paths, modes, ecologies, lives, content, placement and lalala’s as PETER the word can include all variations of inclusion and exclusion which may occur whilst PETER is, will be and has been. But more over PETER provides PETER with a framework by which to be consequent for PETER. Using the ongoing reformulating notion of PETER, PETER can break, challenge and destroy all illegitimate hierarchies of PETER. Removing anything which represses, exploits or excludes. In other words to create PETER as a process, practice, engagement, expression and understanding which is safe, caring, loving, nice, motivating, enjoyable, expressive, flexible and fun.
Choreography and Performance: Peter Mills
Light concept: Johan Sundén
Sound concept: Emin Durak
Co production: Dance4(UK), MDT(SE), XING(IT), Tour de dance(SE), Kunstvardo(NO/UK). Supported by Kulturrådet
PETER 