Psychoreographies
PSYCHOREOGRAPHIES – a performative inquiry for inner and outer spaces
As an artist and performer Nikolaus Gansterer is highly interested in the links between thinking, drawing and action. Since drawing is mediating between perception and reflection, it plays a constitutive role in the production and communication of spaces. Based on the initial crucial question – how spaces are permanently inscribing into our bodily perception and thus constituting inner landscapes? – and in reverse – how are these inner spaces organizing and inscribing again into public spaces? – Nikolaus Gansterer is working with drawing as fundamental tool to trace these interlaced spaces and their rhythms.
If choreography is the essential inscription of movements in time and space how to draw a map/score of these forces which make matter move between so called „inner“ and „outer“ spaces? Which language, alphabet and sign system (a „scoreo-graphy“) has to be developed in order to articulate these vibrant in-between-spaces or interspace? What are these inherent politics operative with/in the construction of space? Could we call the notations of these operative forces „Psycho-Choreographies“ or in short „Psychoréographies“?
nikolaus-gansterer_psychoreographies_excerpt from Nikolaus Gansterer on Vimeo.
Being a stranger to Marseilles the Vienna based artist is exploring the urban public space by further developing (psychogeographic) techniques and other tactics initiated by the Situationists of orientating and non/sense-making with all his senses. Inspired by Henri Lefebvres „Rhythmanalysis“ and his fundamental musical understanding of the complex interrelations between time, space and everyday life Nikolaus Gansterer is (sound)-recording his routes: By mainly „drifting-shifting“, „walking-talking“ and „drawing-writing“ through the city the artist manoeuvres himself into unforeseen situations and constellations thus becoming aware of elementary forces and striving but constitutive movements within the urban fabric.
Stirring from these encounters and experiences his findings and recordings are distilled into detailed subjective body-mind maps and synaesthetic scores (scoreography) which are notations of a „psychoreographic mindscape“ blurring the boundaries between ego – and geo-graphy towards an expanded notion of choreography. Gansterer’s intricate multi-dimensional diagrams – consisting of objects, sounds, words, floor- and wall drawings will be transformed and activated into a unique performance.
Within this specific performative format he is interested how drawing could be extended along the categories of time, space and movement: So to speak, a line of thought could become a line on the paper, could turn into a line in space, or a line verbalized and outspoken becoming sound, becoming movement, becoming a gesture – and again a line drawn with the whole body. Here video serves as an ideal format to document and turn the performance afterwards in an autonomous video work. The traces and remains of the performance will be visible as mixed media installation for visitors at Mucem. Psychoreograhies is the first solo exhibition in France by artist Nikolaus Gansterer.
Concept, performance & mixed media installation: Nikolaus Gansterer
in collaboration with Lilia Mestre (choreography adviser) and Stefan Geissler (sonority arranger)
Commissioned and curated by Samar Kehdy / MuCEM Marseilles, (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) France.
Premiere/Opening: 19th September 2015, 15:00; in form of a 4 hour durational performance. The installation with traces and a video of the performance was on display till 28 September 2015 at MuCEM Marseilles.
Keywords: performance, research, installation, mapping, dérive, psychogeography, psychoreography, psychoréographie, psycho-choreography, psycho-choreographies, psychoreographies, scoreography, translationscape, construction of space, rhythmanalysis, theourettecian (= tourette of theory), Henri Lefebvre, Guy Debord, speculative situationism
Reviews and interviews:
– „Between the Visible and the Invisible“, Fatehrad, Azadeh, in: MaHKUscript, Journal of Fine Art Research, 2019, 3(1), p.5.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/mjfar.53
– „Comme Au MuCEM #9“, (9.9.2015): Choreographer Lilia Mestre in interview with Marc Voiry from Radio Journal Zibeline about „Psychoréographies“ (in French). Download the interview (08:25min).
– Nikolaus Gansterer, „Psychoreographies“, 20 artist pages, in: „Gagarin – artist Magazine #31“, p. 52ff., December 2015. Edited and curated by Wilfried Huet.
The work was presented at
2015 „Psychoreographies, MuCEM, Marseilles
2016 „Resonances“, MuCEM, Marseilles
2018 „Between the Visible and the Invisible“, Maraya Art Foundation, Sharjah
2021 „Repetition Cycle“, Depo, Istanbul