MANUAL FOCUS. METTE INGVARTSEN

Manual Focus is rotating heads 180°, turning arms into legs, and swapping front and back. Bodies are swappable: from animals to disorganized creatures, to headless humanoids and other nondescript forms. Three nude women with old men’s masks on the back of their heads, transform into a twelve-legged creature, effacing their identities by covering their real faces with the artificiality of a mask. The monstrosity lies not in the creature itself, but in the monstrous interplay between the naked and masked, the artificial and real, the male and female, distorting our perception of familiar bodies. Monsters are not a species one can have a closer look at: they are given to disappearing and slipping away, they won’t stay in focus.

The event is part of the opening’s Choreographic Programme. With more than twenty shows, the audience will be offered an opportunity to witness diverse artistic strategies and a multitude of formal takes. The programme includes works in progress, dance acts and choreographic installations, with spectacular group productions sharing space with intimate solo activities.