Dansekraft på Kunsthal Nord: Sandro Masai – Dance traces

DANCE TRACES – Ritualistic Digital Action Paintings #2
Performed by Sandro Masai using wearable audiovisual interactive technology.

Duration: 30 minutes + 20 minutes artist talk (in English).

DANCE TRACES – Ritualistic Digital Action Paintings #2 is a further development of the performance from last at Kunsthal NORD for the Dansekraft Festival 2023.

It is a dance performance combined with an interactive audiovisual system. The performance is inspired by the Afro-Brazilian culture, which has deep roots in the Yoruban Mythology and the dance is dedicated to the Orishas, African gods.

The dramaturgy is based on a Yoruban creation myth of the Orishas. It tells the story of the creation of the world and the banning of Oshun – the goddess of water, love, fertility and beauty, and the seizing of power from of the warrior Ogun – the god of metal and technology. In the absence of love and water, nothing can grow on Earth and creation is impossible. A synthesis and harmony must be found, where human/love and machine/technology can join and work together.

Conceptually, this performance combines decolonial art practice and Afrofuturism, by bridging ancestral African knowledge and high technology.

The interactive audiovisual system analyses the movements of the performer and affects the music and visual projections in the room.

Performance created in collaboration with ImprovAIze – Augmented Performance Lab & RELATE – Research Lab for Art and Technology at Aalborg University.

SILKE BECKMAN – music composer and computer programmer
PELIN KILIBOZ – visual artist and computer programmer
ELIZABETH JOCHUM – researcher and supervisor
DAN OVERHOLT – researcher and supervisor
SANDRO MASAI – performer

Performed at Kunsthal NORD for Dansekraft 2024