Space is reduced to its own body, and its position is known not by the objects that have passed through it, but by the time it has been in motion. [...] For the blind, people are not there if they do not speak. [...] People are on the move, they are temporary, they come and go. They appear out of nowhere; they disappear.
John Hull in An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks
Olhar é Movimento
Olhar é Movimento is a contemporary dance project that addresses, from various angles, the question of what it means to see. One of the layers of reflection is inspired by the works of Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana and their enactive approach to cognition. They propose that perception is not a passive capture of an external world independent of the observer, but an active process, in which "seeing" is configured through our actions and experiences.
These ideas are reflected in the testimonies documented by neuroscientist Oliver Sacks in his text "Seeing and Not Seeing", which also inspires this work. This text describes the experience of a person blind from an early age who undergoes surgery in adulthood. Even though the operation was "successful" from a medical point of view, the person cannot see. It perceives colors and movements, but cannot configure shapes or give them meaning.
Another layer of reflection is relational: How does the other's gaze affect me? What do I do to the other with my gaze? When do I really see the other? What happens when the other sees me? How is gaze related to attention?
The third layer of reflection is brought by the dialogue with technology. The show presents audiences with three ways to view the same scene as it happens. The projection has a delay in relation to the real time of the execution of the performers' movements, which can generate a different view of the same movement as it occurs, both in plain view of the audience and mediated by the camera and projection .
These different angles intersect and complement each other, inviting the viewer to question their way of looking and their relationship with the perceptual experience.
This project is supported by the Paulo Gustavo Law of the municipality of Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil.
Synopsis
Olhar é Movimento is a contemporary dance show with two performers on stage, mediated by image capture and projection technology in real time. The show unfolds in different scenes that address different dimensions of the gaze: the gaze of the other; the gaze that touches memory, the impossibility of giving meaning to visual space, the mediated gaze, the gaze that touches the interior space and "seeing" without looking. The sound composition, structured in atonal phrases and made up of pure tones, creates an atmosphere that accompanies the performers on this journey of vision. The projection has a delay in relation to the real time of the execution of the movements of the creative performers, which can generate a different vision of the same movement as it happens, both in plain view of the audience and mediated by the technological apparatus of the camera and the projection. The show presents the audience with three ways of looking at the same scene as it happens, and through these options we invite the audience to reflect on the question of what it means to look. When we sharpen the sense of sight, mediated by technology and affected by art, we create a layer of understanding of how we can be active about our gaze and points of view.
Technical Information
Creative performers
Mila Mogui
Robson Vieira
Choreography
Mila Mogui
Research in scenic technologies
Robson Vieira
Production
Silvia Lira
Soundtrack
Alejandra Perez
Graphic Designer
Marcelo Gontijo
Lighting Design
Robson Vieira
Registration and technical execution
Constanza Frank
Video editing
rod.prxds
Project writing
Eugenia Cultural
Contemporary dance and performing technologies workshop
In the context of the Lei Paulo Gustavo project of the municipality of Porto Seguro, we will hold a workshop on contemporary dance and performing technologies at the Arraial d'Ajuda State School. This workshop aims to explore the concepts of contemporary dance through practical exercises derived from the creation process of the show "Olhar é Movimento". Participants will perform activities such as body games, warming up, stretching and improvisation.
In addition to dance, the workshop will integrate stage technologies using mobile devices to capture movements and project them in real time through the Resolume Arena software. This interaction between dance and projection is part of the research for the creation of the show, offering an immersive and innovative experience.
Goals
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Develop contemporary dance skills.
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Experiment with improvisation and body expression.
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Integrate stage technology with dance practice.
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Encourage creativity and collaboration among participants.
Day: Saturday August 24
Time: 9am to 12pm
Location: Arraial d'Ajuda Public School
Target audience: Adolescents (up to 20 participants)
Facilitators: The creative team of the show "Olhar é Movimento" (Looking is Movement)
Mila Mogui and Robson Vieira
