Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2020, Blaðsíða 26

Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2020, Blaðsíða 26
Satisfy Your Lust For Life Elina Pirinen’s ‘Rhythm Of Poison’ will reawaken your primal libido Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick Info 'Rhythm Of Poison' will play on March 7th and 15th at 20:00 at Borgarleikhúsi#. Tickets are 4,900 ISK. Chimes jingle. A dancer flexes his foot, clutching desperately onto a red scarf. In your lap lands another dancer’s head. She twitches and pets your hair. On the other side of the floor—there is no stage— guttural growls emerge from a singer’s snarling mouth as a dog scurries around her feet. The smell of garlic overwhelms your senses, no doubt due to the cloves currently being stuffed into the mouth of a dancer in the centre. It’s a chaotic smörgåsbord of images—in every direction a new spectacle—and at many times, you don’t even know where to look. This is no fever dream or bad trip; it’s the eclectic, sensual, pri- mal work of Finnish choreographer Elina Pirinen’s new show with the Iceland Dance Company, ‘Rhythm Of Poison.’ Sensual transgression “The essentials of the work are based on my own personal experi- ence dealing with the artistic body, but also related to the feministic body and the deeply shared one,” Elina explains. “Our bodies are charged with many fantasmatic and peculiar processes and [the dancers and I] practise many weeks to make and enjoy the connections between those affectionate pro- cesses and the anatomy itself—the vulvic area, eyeballs, hair, tongue, saliva, teeth and nails.” The movement of the show is subsequently heavily based around these areas, in fact, intensely so. In truth, while watching ‘Rhythm Of Poison,’ the viewer often gets the feeling that they’re in the midst of a physical breakdown, manic episode, or, perhaps, a debauched orgy. It’s an apt experience, though, as ‘Rhythm Of Poison,’ Elina de- scribes, is based on the larger need to show the libidian movements in dance art, or as she refers to it, the lust for life. “The lust for life is shared between all people, and it’s good to re- mind oneself that we are existential- ly people with de- spair, i ntimac y, desires and obses- sions, not bourgeois and reason- able by heart. For me, I try to do work that is transgressive in the way that beauty comes from the unheimlich core rather than the imagery of person,” she says. For dancer Saga Sigur!ardóttir, Elina’s work, with its lack of stage, focus on audience interaction, and pure sensuality, has allowed a certain amount of delightful free- dom in her movements. “You are bringing your own sensuality into the space,” Saga explains, a bright smile taking over her face. “I am fascinated by how Elina deals with intimacy. What does it mean when you are in a space full of strangers?” Five year plan And though it’s but a small mo- ment in the production, one cannot help but fixate on the fact that the performance involves dogs, which join the dancers and audience on the floor for a few minutes, run- ning about the room, allowing pets and cuddles at their leisure. “They bring such wonderful energy to the space,” Saga laughs. “Liveliness. Pure liveliness!” Elina has long been k now n for her transgressive choreography. For the artist though, ‘Rhythm Of Poison’ is just one step in her progression. “The older I get the wilder my stage becomes,” she says. Elina’s still young, though, so one can only dream about what she’ll be up to in five years. When asked, the artist smirks. “Jail.” Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and Android storesArt “Our bodies are charged with many fantas- matic and pecu- liar processes.” You could wash a load of laundry on those Choreographer Elina Pirinen (le#) with dancer Saga Sigur"ardóttir (right) Stúdíó Ólafur Elíasson The Marshall House Grandagarður 20 Tuesday - Sunday 12-6pm and Thursdays until 9pm i8 Gallery Tryggvagata 16 101 Reykjavík info@i8.is t: +354 551 3666 www.i8.is VISIT !ÓPAVO"#$ C#LT#$E HO#SES AND EXPERIENCE IMPRINT 17.01%15.03.2020 & MENNINGARHUSIN. K O P A V O G U R . I S Hamraborg 4–6'Kópavogur Bus 1,(2,(4,(28,(35 & 36 G er )a rs af n' Kó pa vo gu r A rt M us eu m N át tú ru fr æ )i st of a Kó pa vo gs ' N at ur al H is to ry M us eu m o f K óp av og ur MANY FACES OF NATURE & MORE Salurinn'Concert Hall Bókasafn Kópavogs'Kópavogur Public Library

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