“Reclaim ownership of the gaze. Undermine the representation of women as beautiful objects created by male artists and enjoyed by male viewers. Use the body to challenge patriarchy and introduce the female gaze.” – Phaidon, 2015
The relation between body and beauty
Power, the male gaze, capitalism: our society is full of normally assumed structural relationships that collectively form the status quo. The way we think, the way we look, even what we can fantasize about is framed by these structures within which society takes shape. Choreographer Annemijn Rijk is fascinated by how the body relates to these social, often hidden or socially accepted frameworks. As well as by how the body can challenge them.
For the third theme of her Body of Art project, the theme “Beauty”, she investigated how the body today, within these systems, relates to beauty. She found that for her, beauty equals transparency. Transparency in showing the body honestly, in the expression of her dancers, as well as transparency in exposing hidden, social systems.
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Out of the urge to choreograph not only the body, but also the eye of the viewer and the categories of time and space, Rijk created the life-sized dance film installation Woman’s Work. Six screens show six women of different generations and backgrounds. Inspired by the idea of a catwalk as a clamping metaphor for the ideal female image, the women walk over a narrow, steel beam at a great height. Five screens show their individual portraits, their own journey within the for them dominant system. The sixth screen shows their joint resistance. While dancing, they balance mutual relationships, pressure, expectations and manipulation. The fall is inevitable. As is the drive to constantly search for how their flexible bodies can resist the static, steel beam.
Annemijn Rijk: “As a choreographer, dancer and human being, I have personally experienced that the body can be a confrontational, yet effective source of change. In my work I focus on the connecting, disarming and ever-communicating power of our body and let the body show us what it means to be human today.”
behind the scenes
The group film that is part of the installation Woman’s Work is also shown separately and has been shown at:
San Francisco Dance Film Festival- USA, Beirut International Women Film Festival – Beiroet, Stockholm Film Festival – Zweden, Florence Dance On Screen – Italië, NewGrounds: Dance Film Collection – USA, FilmFest by Rogue – USA, International Screendance Festival Of Chile – Chili, Choreoscope Barcelona Dance Film Festival- Spanje, Dance em Foco – Brazilië, Festical Videodanze de Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico, Festical Cinedans – Amsterdam, Cittador International Film Festival Oostenrijk, Swedish International Film Festival – Zweden, Greenwich Film Festival – UK, Festival Audiovisual Origen – Spanje, DanzaTTAck – Tenerife.
Woman’s Work’s group film won the ‘Jury Gold Award’ at the Cittador Film Festival in Vienna and received an ‘Honorable mention’ at the Greenwich Film Festival.
credits
Genre Dance film installation – Concept, choreography & direction Annemijn Rijk – Dance Pauline Roelants, Nicole van den Berg, Izah Hankammer, Revé ter Borg, Caroline Neijendorff-Arhutowski, Yara Meziane el Otmani – Director of Photography Richard Spierings – Music Aura Bouw
Gaffer Teun Pulles – 1st AC Casper Fraij, Rohwel de Rot – Grip Björn Schumacher – Sound recordist Joris Geurts – Editing Sander Kuijpers – Grading Frans Suijs – Dramaturgy Nienke Rooijakkers – Costume Annemarije van Harten – Make-up Joyce Walia – Line Producer Branded Cinema, Monne Tuinhout – Production Manager Frederique Rinkens – Production preparation Rick Hooijberg – Gymnastics training Chantal Jorna – Philosophical reflection Catherine Robb – Graphic design Tessa Meeus – Producers Branded Cinema, De Nieuwe Vorst, Chassé Theater Breda
Will be shown by and during Chassé Theater, DNA Breda Festival, Stedelijk Museum Breda & Breda Photo, Schouwburg Tilburg, Theater de Nieuwe Vorst – Made with financial support of Chassé Cultuurfonds, Het Fonds Podiumkunsten, Municipality of Breda, Municipality of Tilburg, Province of North Brabant, Chassé Theater, Theater de Nieuwe Vorst.