VanThorhout

Whether by ancient gods, ancient heroes, soldiers or athletes, the glorification of male power throughout history often tended towards a celebration of war, aggression and violence. Thor, to whom the title refers, is one of the best-known personifications of this. He can unleash a thunderstorm and lives on to this day as one of the superheroes in Marvel comics and films, invariably depicted with his Mjölnir, a hammer with a handle much too short.

In the solo VanThorhout, Alexander Vantournhout enters the stage as Thor, and sets to work with his own Mjölnir. Soon the relationship between object and performer becomes ambiguous. When do you lose the power to manipulate this heavy hammer? When does the hammer take over and become uncontrollable? What if all these images of power disintegrate? Power and vulnerability come together in a physically controlled performance that reflects on male power.

website Not Standing

Credits

Choreography & performance Alexander Vantournhout | Artistic assistant Emmi Väisänen | dramaturgy Rudi Laermans, Sébastien Henderickx | prop design Tom De With, Willy Cauwelier | stage Willy Cauwelier | light design Bert Van Dijck | costume design Patty Eggerickx | outside eye Charlotte Cétaire, Anneleen Keppens, Esse Vanderbrugge, Sandy Williams | object manipulation outside eye Simon Janson, Sebastian Berger | thanks to Bojana Cvejić, Ben Mcewen, Tom Van der Borght | technical coordination Rinus Samyn | Technicians on tour Tijs Bonner, Bram Vandeghinste | company manager Esther Maas | production manager Barbara Falter, Aïda Gabriëls | distribution Frans Brood Productions | production not standing | co-production Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER (Gent), Le CENTQUATRE (Parijs), Les Subsistances – SUBS (Lyon), Les 2 Pôles Nationaux des Arts du Cirque normands — La Brèche (Cherbourg) & le Cirque-Théâtre d'Elbeuf, 3 bis f - centre d'arts contemporains (Aix-en-Provence) | with the support of la Fondation d’entreprise Hermès in het kader van het New Settings-programma | Alexander Vantournhout is artist-in-residence at Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER in Ghent, associated artist of le CENTQUATRE Paris and Cirque-théâtre Elbeuf and cultural ambassador of the city of Roeselare | Alexander Vantournhout is supported by the Fondation BNP Paribas for the development of his projects | not standing is supported by the Flemish Government