PINK & ORANGE

PINK & ORANGE, the new creation by Kunst/Werk & ChampdAction, would have premiered in STUK late January. That happened without an audience, but luckily with a camera crew present. The result is an online premiere, on March 13 via Podium 19.

In PINK & ORANGE, choreographer and dancer Marc Vanrunxt lets two works by American avant garde composer John Cage be played simultaneously by pianist Yutaka Oya and organist Iris Eysermans of the interdisciplinary platform for new music ChampdAction. Together with dancers Lise Vachon, Peter Savel and Igor Shyshko the co-creation explores the (im)possibilities of this musical crash/clash in an organic and dynamic choreography, trying to re-define the standard 'ethics and aesthetics'. Visual artist Tom Volkaert developed a brightly coloured tv tower with toothed sides for three vintage video screens, an eccentric piano chair and a table lamp.

Vanrunxt is fascinated by the intense collaborations of the Judson Dance Theater and the triumvirate of John Cage, Merce Cunningham and Robert Rauschenberg in the New York of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Their innovative approach of music, form and movement and the interaction between those artforms inspired generations of artists.

In the same spirit, PINK & ORANGE sees Vanrunxtput together a collaboration with ChampdAction centered around John Cage's work. After a proposal by pianist Yutaka Oya, two compositions for solo performer by John Cage are played simultaneously by organist Iris Eysermans and Yutaka Oya on piano : Organ2/ASLSP (1987) for portable organ and Sonatas and Interludes (1946-48) for small (prepared) piano. ASLSP stands for As Slow As Possible and turns Organ2/ASLSP into one long volume. The construction of Sonatas and Interludes, on the other hand, is capricious and fragmented, in stark contrast with the introspective ASLSP. That way, PINK & ORANGE embodies two ways to deal with time, duration and dynamics. John Cage himself encouraged this type of confrontation and dialogues with his music.

PINK & ORANGE - the title comes from an eponymous small abstract 1951 painting by Elsworth Kelly - looks for new relations and communication between unexpected elements. What is between pink and orange? How much is Cage times Cage?

CREDITS
choreography Marc Vanrunxt in close collaboration with Igor Shyshko Peter Savel Lise Vachon
music John Cage: Organ2 / ASLSP (1987) performed by Iris Eysermans & Sonatas & Interludes (1946-1948) performed by Yutaka Oya
lights and technical realization Stef Alleweireldt
scenography Tom Volkaert
costumes Katleen Vinck
sound direction Raphael Malfliet
production Kunst/Werk
co-production ChampdAction
residency & co-production STUK, House for Dance, Image & Sound
many thanks to Paul Verrept, Lieve Dierckx, Stanislav Dobák, Bosse Provoost, Sarah Ludi, Karen Joosten, Ultima Vez, Peeping Tom
with the support of the Flemish Authorities
filmed by Jan Bosteels & Beeldstorm at Soetezaal in STUK, Leuven on Thursday January 28th, 2021