exhibition at owf

just a few more days to go and my students will present a selection of photographic work at the one world foundation. we picked about 120 images for the exhibition and I am excited about both, artistic approach as well as technical quality. the workshop lasted mere two month and some of the photos certainly meet professional standards. if you happen to travel through sri lanka in these days, please drop by!

owf campus
ahungalla
sri lanka
opening january 28, 2010 10am

photo (c) isuru dhananjaya

project period

my residency at the one world foundation goes well and time is flying all too fast. the new year started with a project period. together with about 25 students we developed different visual concepts and themes, ranging from still photography and documentary work to action shots. in total there are six projects and a selection of photos will be presented to the public in late january. I captured some students on the job near hikka duwa, a small beach resort at the indian ocean. and yes, sri lanka is
that beautiful...

jooloomooloo

one of the products the garment factory ran malu fashions takes care of is jooloomooloo, a label for small and very small people, founded by christina gschwantner. now, what is a jooloomooloo (tschulumulu)? well, to be precise, jooloomooloos are small beings that live in clothes, can only be seen by kids and are happy and peaceful until they smell toxic colors. then they get really bad-tempered and itchy. please click on the heather for detailed product information. and you might like to know, jooloomooloo is the lead character of a book written by doron rabinovici and illustrated by christina gschwantner. the publication received awards for 'best children book' in austria, is printed on elephant poo(!) and well, designed for small and not so small people.

ran malu fashions

ran malu fashions is one of many garment factories situated in biyagama, an hour drive outside colombo. the factory depends largely on orders from abroad and is keen on working in accordance with fair trade regu-
lations. I was allowed to access the production area and document the manufacturing process. many thanks to rajen wijenathan. a small selection of work is already online, additional photos will follow next week ;-)

a chassidic rabbi in colombo

mendy crombie is a young chassidic rabbi from the lubavitch movement who moved to sri lanka five years ago, certificating kosher food as well as locating and converting local jews back to the path of judaism. the vienna based author and essayist doron rabinovici interviewed the rabbi a few days ago and asked me to document the meeting. it again showed me how complex and intertwined the world is. traveling to colombo and photographing a rabbi who worships the ideas of lubavitch is quite a surprise... click here for more information on this movement.

chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

I always wondered what it would be like, x-mas on the beach, under palm tress, with a spectacular view and any notion of snow or roasted chestnuts far away. it is happening... I wish you all, where ever you
are, a jolly good time! enjoy all there is. and good luck for 2010 ;-)

costumes, music and dance

december 15 marks the last day in school and is celebrated in large crowds with beautifully designed costumes, music and dance. in sri lanka final exams are carried out in december and a new school year begins january 4. my students prepared for this occasion and up to eight photographers documented the event. please click at the heather to see some of their work. I brought my camera as well and like to share a few impressions from backstage. it's a celebration...

the end of my first month

this is the end of my first month at the owf one world foundation in ahungalla. there are about 40 amazing(!) students in my classes and days are filled with a crash course on theory as well as excursions to the indian ocean and a nearby buddhist temple. we work with ten digital pentax slr cameras and a standard zoom lens. the school provides the infrastructure to upload the images and complete the whole working process with photo editing software. I am also taking time to teach about history of photography and present a small number of artists I find precious and relevant to know about. earlier this week I took an hour off and captured some of the other students, looking for a photographic approach in this new environment.

robyn lee

in the moment | the art of being is the most recent publication of new york based acting teacher and coach robyn lee. robyn has been teaching internationally over the last 15 years. we met back in 1999 when robyn took an assignment at my former dance school spiral[e] in vienna. I am thrilled to contribute to her new book with a portrait from our last photo session.

artist in residency

I am leaving this coming sunday to sri lanka for an artist in residency, teaching photography and creative work at a free education unit south of colombo. the residency is financed by paint for life in collaboration with owf one world foundation. I put up a blog with regular updates, if you are curious please click here.

owf one world foundation sri lanka
#162/15 wathuregama
ahungalla, sri lanka

akram khan

I recently met up with choreographer and dancer akram khan at the occasion of his premiere of gnosis at sadler's wells in london. inspired by the mahabharata story of queen ghandari, who blindfolds herself for life to follow her blind husband, gnosis explores the notion of inner know-
ledge and clouded vision, of 'seeing darkness yet being blind to light'.
akram invited me to collaborate in 2010 and I like to thank sanders for putting us in touch.

tanz die toleranz

the british choreographer royston maldoom has been the initiator and leader of numerous dance projects around the globe. his work was especially honoured in 2005 with the project 'rhythm is it' when 250 kids danced 'le sacre du printemps' by igor stravinsky in collaboration with sir simon rattle and the berlin philharmonic orchestra. royston is currently choreographing a piece to john adams’ 'harmonielehre' with 100 children from various social and ethnic backgrounds as part of 'tanz die toleranz', initiated by caritas wien. participating in this project and documenting
the process of work has been a great privilege. many thanks to bettina frenzel and juergen knoth for making two ends meet.

gasometer
guglgasse 8
1110 vienna
austria
premiere october 9, 2009 8pm (through october 10)

life on earth

the german dance magazine ballettanz (jahrbuch 09) named the performance project life on earth by cabula 6 the collectiv of the year (category important ensembles). life on earth takes place in macondo, a well hidden refugee camp at the outskirts of vienna. cabula 6 consists of claudia heu and jeremy xido as well as associative members and supporters. claudia invited me to macondo for the first time in 2007. please click on the heather for more detailed information and photographic work.

international choreolab austria

the icla international choreolab austria is a pilot project of danube university krems in cooperation with tanzatelier wien. this project is dedicated to providing continuous education in the context of dance
and choreography. the main focus is to foster discourse on an expanded understanding of choreography, which links contemporary dance, theoretical excursions und performative training across the disciplines. the icla involves dancers and choreographers as well as others professionals from neighboring scientific fields. this is an image of the first module on 'cartography bodymemento' (september 5 - 12).

bellyflop magazine

I was recently introduced to louise mochia, a kind spirit who happens
to be a london based dancer and dance editor. louise runs her own magazine so if you seek the latest news in dance check out her site for performance hungry people ;-)

ko murobushi

the japanese butoh dancer ko murobushi visited vienna at the occasion of the annual impulstanz festival and we took photos at an old train station. many thanks to kersten kloser, caro heinecke, michikazu matsume and akemi takeya for their generous support.

sri lanka

I was awarded an artist-in-residency in ahungalla, sri lanka this coming autumn, provided by the vienna based ngo paint for life. my project is about documenting the daily life, possibilities as well as struggles of a private school that finances the education of in total a thousand pre- school kids, teenagers and adults in various courses and fields. if there is interest, I like to offer workshops in photography and arrange a group exhibition at the end of my stay!

'vexations' wir nennen es arbeit (we call it work)

repeating a piece of music 840 times – that’s a lot of work. work that choreographer kerstin kussmaul and pianist jan burkhardt go to trouble with the composition 'vexations' by erik satie, the longest piece of music in history. 'we call it work' is thus the suitable subheading for their performance lasting twenty one hours. it features a cleverly devised system of admission that focuses on the attendance and function of the audience. I joined 'vexations' as a photographer, witnessing the course of events with all its subtle changes and story telling. and yes, it was work!

andrea schlehwein

the german choreographer andrea k. schlehwein invited me to take photos of her most recent creation, "right in the middle of something I can't see" in gmuend, austria. andrea and I haven't met before and I was deeply drawn into her work and perception of dance. many thanks to the dancers and the production office a.k.e.s. for their support and kindness.

premiere june 26, 2009 8pm (through june 30)
lodronsche reitschule
9853 gmuend | carinthia
austria

nora von waldstaetten

I met up with berlin based actress nora von waldstaetten earlier this month for a new photo session. all in all we spent two days exploring venues and traveling across the city. many thanks to doerthe for her generous support.

paint for life

the aim of paint for life is to support people in poor countries to gain access to sustainable education in order to lead a self-determined and dignified life. the association finances initiatives that run schools and other educational institutions in underprivileged parts of the world and for that purpose frequently holds charity events. a selection of art work was auctioned off by sotheby's on june 5 at the austrian embassy in berlin and I was thrilled to see my donation being sold to the highest bidder.

flamenco turco

I was recently invited to collaborate with other dance photographers on the 2nd pera flamenco festival from june 9 - 14 in taksim, istambul. a selection of photo work will be presented in designated areas as part of the festival.

life ball 2009

the 17th life ball took place on may 16 as the largest european charity event raising money for hiv research and related social programs. bill clinton, ivana trump, fran drescher, roisin murphy and eva longoria were some of the celebrities marking this highly illustrious event. click on the header for a selection of glamorous shots ;-)

angina p

the artist angina p just released her latest album sensitive files. the cover design features two stills we took back in 2005, hands productions took care of the art work. more information and mp3 downloads are available at http://www.anginap.com

die winterreise

karl schreiner, a former dancer of abc dance company, presents his most recent creation, a ballet for franz schubert 'die winterreise'. karl brought together an exceptional set of dancers and I feel touched by his work. the premiere is scheduled for april 8th at the klagenfurter stadttheater. don't miss it!

live on earth

my contribution to the performance project live on earth resumes with the presentation of living maps, an interactive exhibition developed in exchange with residents of a vienna based refugee camp. living maps
is located at the bus stop 73a zinnergasse kaserne.

opening april 5, 2009 4 pm (through may 15)
more information at http://cabula6.com/macondo

artparis

zoom photo magazine based in milan, italy will present a selection of fine art prints taken from my current series forbidden colors | austrian eyes on japan at the annual artparis. what a thrill...

booth p37
grand palais champs-elysées
avenue winston churchill
75008 paris
france
opening march 19, 2009 (through march 23)

ko murobushi

ko murobushi visited vienna for a week of teaching and an improvised performance together with boris charmatz at the tqw tanzquartier wien.
a small selection of photos is up ;-)

wunderland featuring alice

wunderland featuring alice made it to vienna for performance work and we took new photos, resisting the bitter cold with good stories and frequent coffee breaks. many thanks to aristidis georgiou for his kind support!

wir_hier exhibition

the media project wir_hier kunst unter strafe is presenting the work of recent years at the kunstpavillon in eisenach, germany. the exhibition will provide insight to five years of artistic collaboration with detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria. this project is very dear to me and I hope for many more years of collaboration. please drop by if you happen to be near eisenach!

kunstpavillon
mariental 3
99817 eisenach
germany
opening april 9, 2009 7 pm

paint for life

I recently joined paint for life, an online network where artists trade and discuss their work and create their own art collection. all participants are asked to donate at least one art work, all contributions are auctioned and the revenues invested in social programs. the main aim of paint for life is to provide children access to sustainable education in order to lead a self-determined and dignified life. paint for life is up with a new auction taking place june 8, 2009 in berlin!

life on earth

life on earth is a collaborative project of cabula6 with the aim to record and communicate stories of residents based in macondo, a refugee camp at the outskirts of vienna. I joined the project in 2007 as a performer and photographer and was immediately drawn to this place. life on earth resumes in 2009 with a new agenda and range of artistic work. just click on the header for more information.

ute bock

I collected christmas presents for children that are taken care of by ute bock, herself being an elderly woman who runs a small vienna based ngo with the help of a few volunteers. ute bock looks after several hundred migrant families from all parts of the world, providing shelter, language classes and legal assistance. there is no official support and the ngo fully depends on private donations, addressing grinding poverty and injustice. many thanks to everybody who supported this project and contributed in whatever way.

mikado

the five musicians of ensemble mikado play renaissance and medival music in the most subtle and sincere way. I had the chance to photo-
graph the release of the latest album with english consort music and like to introduce the lyrics of one of their songs, 'o thrice-blessed earthbed' by john tomkins.

o, o, thrice-blessed earthbed, under whose happy pressure all in a sheet more blessed, lies fast my sleeping treasure. palilia, palilia, palilia awaken! leave death's cold, too cold pleasure. no love in death is taken. but thou with death, aye me, aye me, art ever living. and I in death still live, in love am dying. but death's hand is but vain, soul to dissever: we'll live in heav'n again, we'll live for ever. no chance shall there pursue our souls here distressed. till then adieu, adieu, most blessed.

next fest 08

one of the photos I took of aiko kinoshita and aaron schwarztmann is on display at the annual next fest on december 12 - 14 at velocity theatre, seattle. among other artists you will have the chance to see recent works of dancer and choreographer corrie befort.

ich habe lust

the media project wir_hier presents three video works in collaboration with theater an der wien and the vienna based association 'musik zum anfassen'. I had the opportunity to direct and edit one of the video clips based on the rap song ich habe lust | r.i.p. rappers in prison, recorded in summer 2008. two other videos were arranged by helmut prochart and lucas czjzek. our work will be presented on november 14th at 6pm at theater an der wien as scenic elements of igor stravinsky's opera the rake's progress.

paige barnes

paige is a kindred soul with wings on her back. we met in seattle this autumn and agreed to take photos together. I had to have the rolls developed in order to understand the moments I actually had captured. please look at the dance section for a larger selection.

wunderland featuring alice

wunderland featuring alice and I met in a small vienniese cafe, after years of pursuing different paths in the performing arts. we settled for a photo shoot and created new work for upcoming shows. look her up at myspace! and if you live in berlin, vienna or paris watch out for some wunderland ;-)

quick silver

japanese butoh dancer ko murobushi visits vienna every other year for teaching and performance work at the impulstanz festival. we managed to meet up and collaborate on a photo shoot based on his most recent creation quick silver. many thanks to the artist, ellie hochdoerfer at mumok and agnes prammer for being such a great support. enjoy and feel inspired!

lp release party

r.i.p. rappers in prison proudly presents -
lp release party at werkzeug h
schoenbrunnerstrasse 61
1050 vienna
austria
september 12, 2008 8 pm
more info at http://www.wirhier.at

mirjam morad

mirjam morad is a vienna based butoh dancer traveling half the globe for workshops and art festivals. we met recently through common friends and began experimenting on butoh related themes. butoh is the collective name for a diverse range of techniques and motivations for dance, it involves playful and grotesque imagery often performed in white-body makeup but there is no fixed style. its origins have been attributed to japanese dancers kazuo ohno and tatsumi hijikata. what
I find most fascinating is the clash of opposites such as beauty and ugliness, youth and aging, life and death, double lives and alter egos. so much more to explore...

wir_hier

the media project wir_hier continues with new work throughout 2008. three video clips will investigate the personal experience and notion
of prisoners towards the theme of seduction. the opera the rake's progress by tom rakewell reflects on temptation as well as self determination and provides an ideal frame to present this work. the project is carried out in close collaboration with theater an der wien and the association 'musik zum anfassen' by dietmar flosdorf. filming and editing work takes place in august and september, the premiere
is scheduled for november 14, 2008 at the theater an der wien. more details coming soon. please mark the date...

forbidden colors | austrian eyes on japan

I am very pleased to inform you about a group exhibition together with the italian artist maurizio frullani at wave photo gallery in brescia. the reception takes place june 3rd at 7pm.

via trieste 32/a
25121 brescia
italy
opening june 3, 2008 7 pm (through july 2)
http://www.unstill.net/index.php?page=forbidden-colors
http://www.wavephotogallery.com/

nora von waldstaetten

I went to berlin for my exhibition project 'forbidden colors' and had the opportunity to take new photos of my sister nora. whenever we meet it seems so easy to connect and to fill the empty pages with stories and unknown places.

life ball 08

the life ball is europe's most spectacular annual charity event dedicated to the fight against hiv and took place may 17, 2008 at the vienna city hall. being the glamorous and opulent reinvention of the great viennese ball tradition, the life ball celebrates the open-mindedness and diversity of the world. I joined the life ball in the late 90ies. it is always a thrill to come back!

yukie koji

yukie koji is a contemporary dancer with assignments in austria and germany. I took photos of yukie during improvisation, working with the idea of breath and (inner) movement as a concept beyond form or simple shapes.

international art affairs

a small selection of fine art prints will be presented as part of the international art affairs in washington dc. the opening reception party takes place may 15 at space dc 903 n street. the locations for the art fair are situated at blagden alley between 9th & 10th and m & n streets across from dc convention center. don't miss it ;-)

dates may 15 - 18, 2008 12.00 - 8.30 pm

berlin

I am leaving to berlin on may 6th for a photo assignment with the contemporary japanese dancers yuko kaseki and chika kaneko. the artists are based in berlin and agreed on working with me on the upcoming exhibition at wave photo gallery on june 3rd. the overall theme for the exhibition is "austrian eyes on japan". many thanks to daniel yamada for his support.

the work of yuko kaseki can be viewed at http://www.cokaseki.com/

totentuecher

I am collaborating with the austrian painter ems weissenberger on
his most recent project and exploration, titled totentuecher. ems
began working with the bodies of recently deceased people in 2006, embalming the human form and taking imprints, landscape like patterns on white cotton. these individual shapes hold memory and reflect an ancient sacred tribute to the dead. I designed a video collage based on stills, the material will be presented in a designated space similar to a mausoleum. date and location are so far open. I'll keep you informed.

waltraud koettler

waltraud koettler is a singer and songwriter with the most passionate and heart moving voice. gershwin certainly feels like home to her and so do other jazz composers and artists. I photographed waltraud at the university of music in vienna, a larger selection of work is on display in the portrait section.

henna aho

I had the pleasure and oportunity to work with the finnish fashion designer henna aho on her latest summer collection. we had a great day at the vienna castle of schoenbrunn! many thanks to ingrid, konstanze and claudia for doing an amazing job.

essl museum

I just sent off my application for the emerging artists series hosted by essl museum at the outskirts of vienna. this series allows 40 artists living and working in austria to showcase their work at the end of 2008. if you have interest look up http://sammlung-essl.at/index_e.htm
applications will be accepted no later than april 21, 2008.

myspace

after some wondering around I finally set up a site at myspace! If you are part of the web community or just curious, please drop by!

art attack festival

icebox gallery in twin city minneapolis is planning a group exhibit with photographers represented in one of the editions of zoom magazine. zoom is an italian based magazine featuring european and american photography. my work was reviewed in 2006 in a very encouraging way. if the sponsoring works out the exhibit will be part of the annual art attack festival in november 2008. do keep your fingers crossed! and I keep you posted ;-)

photo (c) northrup king building

hoanzl goes r.i.p.

hoanzl records agreed to produce and distribute the work of r.i.p. rappers in prison with a limited edition of 500 vinyl records. cover images and graphics are designed in collaboration with sitedefinition and valence. I am so proud we got this going! r.i.p. is part of the
media project wir_hier, more information at http://www.wirhier.at

valerie

I like to announce the launch of the latest album by singer and songwriter valerie sajdik. the photos were taken downtown vienna in summer 2007. back then valerie and I barely knew each other but
it didn't really matter. we had fun, appreciated a sunny afternoon, explored and improvised on any given moment. many thanks to laszlo vansca for being such a great support.

a joyful year

"what I want most is to spring out of this personality, then to sit apart from that leaping. I've lived too long where I can be reached."

rumi

2008 just made it. a joyful year to all of you...!

release completed

the latest version of un|still is online with a different design and new features. the navigation on top leads you to the main site, explore and be curious. I hope you enjoy the travel!

december 12th latest release

the latest release of un|still is postponed to december 12th. this is the final deadline, I apologize for the delay! all in all it's a major update with new features and content on the way. just a few more (sleepless) nights and the site is set ;-) webdesign by sitedefinition!

wave gallery

I just returned from a very pleasant and encouraging meeting with enrica bortolazzi, curater of the new wave gallery in brescia, italy. we agreed on a solo exhibition june 3 - july 2, 2008 in collaboration with zoom magazine milan and the wave photo gallery cultural association. I will present recent work on contemporary dance taken in europe and japan between 2004 and 2008.

the exhibition is supported by the austrian cultural forum in milan.

nora von waldstaetten

I went to berlin for a couple of days (one of my favorite places) and had the chance to meet my sister nora who's doing great as an actress and performer. no need to say, I brought my camera...

the beggar and the bird

the beggar and the bird is an evening of enigmatic movement and sound, a performance by amber stephens, albert kessler (dance) and nathalie jean-marain (composition). the choreography is based on an original story about the search for power. the central character experiences a dilemma of who she is in her world. a once successful woman turns her back on her own image, searching for a new identity and greater power. amber and I have common friends and happen to be at the right place to meet and pull strings together. more photos coming up soon.

premiere odeon theatre november 8, 2007
taborstrasse 10
1020 vienna
austria
ticket reservation +43 (1) 216 5127

valerie

I had the opportunity to photograph the upcoming single and album cover for singer and songwriter valerie sajdik, so much of an amazing artist and performer. if you ever got the chance to see valerie live - don't miss it!

r.i.p. download

one pre-mastered audio track of r.i.p. rappers in prison is released for free download. check out http://www.wirhier.at/rip/RiP-Fuer_Euch.mp3
latest news: the austrian public service broadcaster orf features r.i.p. rappers in prison. the broadcasting is scheduled for september 6th at 10 pm local time.
hoanzl records is producing 300 vinyl records with all four tracks of r.i.p. hoanzl will also take care of sales and distribution. more details coming soon!

augenblicke

I was recently asked to photograph for a special edition of profil magazine / gruner + jahr, titled augenblicke. the concept laid out is about nudity in an artistic context, displaying female beauty and fragility as well as the preciousness of youth and physical health. a vienna based dancer and friend joined me for this project, the publication is scheduled for early 2008.

px3 honorable mentions

un|still is one of the 2007 honorable mentions for px3 prix de la photographie paris.

amjad

montreal based modern dance company lalala human steps currently tours through europe with their latest creation amjad, a reinvention of romantic ballet, enormously accelerated, highly aesthetic and both a pleasure and a challenge to the eye. I took a few photos of the rehearsal in vienna, on display are zofia tujaka and dominic santia.

r.i.p. recording session

the recording session with five inmates of a state prison in vienna went well and exceeded all hopes and expectations. in total four hip hop songs were recorded, the cd (working title r.i.p. rappers in prison) will be edited and released at the end of september. there is so far no distribution at hand. in case of interest on your side please inquire for more information at http://www.wirhier.at (media project wir_hier). many thanks to das kw sound studio vienna.

feeler

akemi takeya presented her latest creation "feeler" at the impuls- tanz festival, a concentrated journey through the white land of a light flooded stage gusting with the fading thunder of electronic sound.

r.i.p. rappers in prison

the media project wir_hier enters into another round with furious steez (alien entertainment) teaming up. rappers in prison is the result of musical sessions with five male inmates at a state prison in vienna. within six weeks the prisoners texted songs on their life and situation. in a group approach the lyrics were re-arranged and complemented with hip hop beats. in spite of the given setting the process was carried through very openly and full hearted. in total four songs will be recorded at the end of august at das kw soundstudio vienna.

extra dry (nouvelle version)

eg|pc performed a new version of "extra dry" at the occasion of the impulstanz festival in vienna. I collaborated with emio greco and pieter scholten in spring 2006. it felt great to see them again.

web design index 7

un|still is listed in the current web design index! http://www.webdesignindex.org/

furious steez

I was given the opportunity to portray vienna based rapper furious steez. it was our first photo shoot with loads of encounters and surprises on the way. a very special thank you to chris zvitkovits
for making it all work.

make some noise

make some noise is a remarkable music project initiated by amnesty international. high profile international artists dedicate their work to make an impact on human rights. just recently make some noise published a new album. I like to promote the release on my blog!
more info at http://noise.amnesty.org

the canopy

contemporary dancer yuki enomoto is performing the canopy, a new creation by corrie befort at dance ga mitai festival, tokyo. yuki and corrie work together beautifully. if you happen to be around, don't miss the show ;-)

kagurazaka die pratze theater
july 10 and 11, 2007 7.30 pm / doors open 7.00 pm
q&a after the performance on the 10th
map http://www.geocities.jp/kagurara2000

the eye doesn't know

the mixed media installation 'the eye doesn't know' was given birth on june 19, 2007 at zaim studios in yokohama, japan. the project pursues the inside aspect of an ongoing performance and elaborates on what seems to be hidden and covered from the audience, from the curious eye of the spectator. I feel grateful to collaborate with the dancers corrie befort and yuki enomoto as well as the musician takahiro kawaguchi. all three artists contributed to this project with new work. a photo and video shot was carried out, I wish to finalize the editing process at the end of 2007.

furious steez

vienna based rapper furious steez joins the media project wir_hier for another collaboration with inmates at a state prison in vienna, austria. the new working cycle begins mid juli, a cd release is scheduled for december 2007.

find out more about furious steez at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=107046113

tunnel vision

I participated as a still photographer on the tunnel vision project by monique van kerkhof and rob oudendijk in autumn 2006. the project was realized at the gaikakuhoursuiro, a giant underground discharge channel near tokyo. a video on the preparation work and performance is now online.
http://www.roboudendijk.com/tunnel/finalpreparation.mov

the knowledge of the season

there is a group exhibit coming up together with the dutch photographer victor bergen-henegouwen in amsterdam on june 23, 2007 at the occasion of "event - the knowledge of the season", initiated by eg|pc emio greco and pieter scholten. this event is an opportunity, along with the company and associated artists, scientists, dance philosophers and theatre colleagues to look back on the finished season and forward to the next. victor and I collaborated with eg|pc on "hell" in 2006.

theater bellevue
leidsekade 90
1017 pn amsterdam
netherlands
opening june 23, 2007 4.30 pm
more details at http://www.emiogrecopc.nl/public/index_en.php?thissection_id=41

singapore arts festival

I had the opportunity to photograph the dance piece "in spite of wishing and wanting" by wim vandekeybus and ultima vez way back in 1999 in vienna. one of the photos will be used for an anniversary publication commemorating the last 30 years of the singapore arts festival 2007. the publication seeks to chart the development of the arts festival over the years documenting major ideas, issues, controversies and momentous moments.

3 months on earth

I began collaborating as a dancer and photographer with the performance company cabula 6 and inhabitants of macondo, a very particular place in vienna. the piece 3 months on earth is about travelling and the meeting of different worlds. more specifically, it is about stories behind a journey, pathways that each of us take to arrive to this very moment where we are right now.

tqw tanzquartier wien may 15 and 16, 2007 8.30 pm
ticket reservation 01/581359
http://www.tqw.at/Content.Node/en/index_en.php

photo (c) claudia heu

sozialmarie

the media project wir_hier with long-term detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria was rewarded with the sozialmarie. the award sozialmarie is to honour innovative and creative social projects with recognition and financial support. implemented in 2005, the award contributes to the stimulation of political and scientific discourse on social innovation. this is a strong boost and encourages us to go on with our work. http://www.sozialmarie.org/winners.php

promo

danish actor bjarke de koning just released a promo video at you tube on his street art project painting love. please check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH3EUc3pwug

heliotrope

I am drawn towards the beauty of small things, hidden corners and angles that seem mysterious and out of a different world. this fascination made me photograph nature in all possible settings and places. tokyo based artist takahiro kawaguchi decided to use two images for a cd release with cherry music.

update

it took quite a few (long) nights but I managed to complete the most recent update on un|still. the site features a selection of work by akira kasai, corrie befort, ko murobushi, sengiku bando, tomomi tanabe, uemura naoka and yuri nagaoka. I hope you find inspiration and stories that accompany you on your travel, for a little while.

hanging around

the media project wir_hier got accepted at hanging around, an international multimedia festival with photography, music and the performing arts as a basis for transformation. the concept is about researching the state of hanging around in its comparability locally, as well as in an european and international context. hanging around takes place in dortmund germany august 25 - september 2, 2007.
I will present a selection of photographic work, the theatre play "wie man wird was man ist" might be on as well.

wuk

two friends of mine, andrea seewald and niki ruprecht performed march 29 at the wuk in vienna. I trained with andrea and niki when I enrolled in dance school. seeing them on stage was such a good treat. if you are around don't miss it. the performance is up until march 31.

wir_hier

the theatre play "wie man wird was man ist" was presented to the public on march 8 as a joint effort of wir_hier and long-term detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria. I contributed to the project with a b/w photo exhibition and a video montage in collaboration with helmut prochart. many thanks to the whole team for making it work. more information at http://www.wirhier.at

tokyo

I arrived in vienna a couple of days ago, after nearly six months in tokyo. being back to european life and some familiar points of reference I cannot help but feel as if a part of myself stayed in japan. I like to return to tokyo in may and continue to collaborate with some amazing artists I had the privilege to meet.

uemura naoka

the japanese dancer uemura naoka performed her latest solo work new horizon on february 9 - 11 at benisan pit in tokyo. I attended a photo rehearsal and experienced a voyage of the body "to emerge in the open and unravel new ground..."

akira kasai

the students of japanese butoh teacher akira kasai recently presented the results of one year research on alternative perceptions in dance. I perceived the performance as a transition between western and japanese contemporary dance with stories unfolding and boundaries shifting to different places.

knew gallery

I am very pleased to announce to the opening of a group exhibit at knew gallery in washington dc on march 15th, starting 6 pm.

die pratze

choreographer / filmmaker corrie befort invited me to collaborate on a dance production scheduled for summer 2007 at the pratze theatre in kagurazaka, tokyo. I had the opportunity to photograph the dancer yuki enomoto with some of the material created for the project.

ume

tokyo is bursting into bloom and little by little winter seems to be saying farewell. the japanese plum tree (ume) is one of the first messengers of spring and famous cherry blossom (sakura) seems not far away...

vortex

vortex is a joint collaboration on butoh improvisation and experimental music that took place early february near awajicho station in tokyo. the dancers are yuri nagaoka, ishide takuya and ximena garnica. ximena is also founder of the new york based butoh festival caveart.

oshichi

a transformation of a different kind took place recently in trendy harajuku, one of the main tokyo shopping venues. I photographed my friend kim swapping identity and turning into an oshichi (young girl)...

experimental body IV

experimental body IV is the latest creation of butoh performer ko murobushi and his dancers daiji meguro, yukio suzuki and sadayuki hayashi. the performance took place at die pratze, a small black box theatre, covered with layers of aluminium and simple white garment.

kids earth fund

I began photographing for kids earth fund (KEF), a tokyo based non-profit organization that works with children worldwide to promote peace through the medium of art. children's drawings and paintings are reproduced to create marketable products and maintain a worldwide distribution of medical supplies, art/educational material and clothing. more information at http://www.kidsearthfund.org/

rhizome

wir_hier, a joint media project with long-term detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria was recently added as featured art work to the rhizome data base. please have a look at http://rhizome.org/object.rhiz?43564

knew gallery

a selection of fine art prints will be on display as part of a group exhibit at knew gallery washington dc. many thanks to andrew bautista for making two ends meet.

knew gallery
1639 wisconsin ave nw
washington dc 20007
usa
opening march 15, 2007 (through march 31)
call (202) 338 4588

shibari

I was recently given the opportunity to photograph a shibari (japanese bondage) show. I found myself in an unknown environment, witnessing a performance with constant shifts of control and pain as an instrument or source for stimulation and exposure. the question that came up is how far pain can be endured as part of pleasure, as part of beauty. but then, what is beauty? I felt compassion and at the same time the need not to judge and remain open to the given situation. any opinion or feed-back is welcome.

painting love

painting love is a street art project on film and canvas, initiated and directed by bjarke de koning, a danish film maker and editor. people on different places around the globe are asked to paint love as they see it. the project started in copenhagen in 2005 and so far went to vienna, amsterdam and reykjavik.

I studied with bjarke at film school and joined the project in vienna. painting love is currently searching for production support to go to mecca, the next station. if you are interested in the project please leave a note or contact bjarke directly at info@paintinglove.net

butoh double silence

the japanese butoh dancer tomomi tanabe performed at studio cypress, tokyo january 13th and 14th. I had the chance to photograph a performance that opened up tales, too many to name, pictures that seemed to me as big as life and simply beautiful.

the eye doesn't know

the eye doesn't know is a mixed media installation proposed to the vienna based impulstanz art festival. the project pursues the inside aspect of an ongoing performance and elaborates on what seems to be hidden and covered from the audience, from the curious eye of the spectator. the eye doesn't know is currently being reviewed. a trial version will be up in spring.

メリークリスマス

...I wish all my friends and colleagues, the passer-by, nerds and dreamers, the curious mind and everyone around a jolly good x-mas. may 2007 be spotless and full of joy.

メリークリスマス meri-kurisumasu! much love, laurent.

angina p

angina p, the vienna based producer and cosmopolitan between breakbeat, new age and ambience is online with new photos(!) and the latest recording. don't miss it. http://www.anginap.com

wir_hier

the collaboration with beate goebel and the association wir_hier continues throughout 2007. wir_hier is an art related media project with long-term detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria. the aim is to support artistic potential, create venues and cause awareness in public space.
wir_hier contributes to the theatre play "wie man wird was man ist" (written by lina loos). female prisoners team up with professional actors and perform at kosmos theatre, vienna. the play is a joint effort, allowing people in custody to work within a creative and transparent environment.

kosmos theater
siebensterngasse 42
1070 vienna
austria
premiere march 8th, 2007 8.30 pm

eg|pc

a selection of photographic work is put on display at the théâtre de la ville in paris - in collaboration with the contemporary dance company eg | pc (emio greco and pieter scholten) and the dutch photographer victor bergen-henegouwen.

théâtre de la ville
2 place du châtelet
75004 paris
france
december 12 - 16

tunnel vision

I am collaborating as a photographer on the tunnel vision performance project, produced by monique van kerkhof and rob oudendijk. tunnel vision is a multi-media event displaying elements of dance, music, theater and visual effects. the performance takes place at the gaikakuhoursuiro, a giant underground discharge channel near tokyo.

performance november 18, 11.00 / 14.00
gaikakuhosuiro-outer discharge channel
kamikanasaki 720
kasukabe-shi edogawa river office
more information at http://www.roboudendijk.com/tunnel/

three | flyer

three was presented to the public at bankart1929 in yokohama on november 10th. I want to thank everybody who supported this project.

sengiku bando

the photo shoot with sengiku bando took place at ad focus studios tokyo. the final selection of work is edited in a video like format and projected on layers of semi transparent mesh. in total ten video clips complement the ongoing process and are put on the same time horizon with the live performance.

austrodance festival

austrodance - the photo exhibit at the cultural forum in washington dc was well received and is the first in a series of events, promoting contemporary dance and media work. I will have the pictures on display until january 2007.

monaco dance forum

the performance project three in collaboration with sengiku bando and takahiro kawaguchi will be presented to a selected auditorium at the monaco dance forum 2006. the aim is to introduce the interactive concept of the project and discuss the connecting points between the performing arts and the digital media. another objective is to raise interest and support for a further development.

zoom magazine

the upcoming photo exhibit at the austrian cultural forum in washington dc is announced in the current issue of zoom magazine milan.

wir_hier

a small photo exhibit with more recent work is shown at the occasion of a three day symposium on the situation of prison inmates in austria. the symposium is initiated by beate goebel /association wir_hier in collaboration with valence and sitedefinition. not to be missed!

kuenstlerhaus wien / passage
1010 vienna
austria
symposium opens october 3, 2006 (through october 12)
http://www.wirhier.at

phosphonotop | park der frauen

phosphonotop | park der frauen is a media project by vienna based artist victoria coeln. I was invited to contribute to her creations of light and shadow as a still photographer. it didn't take long and I got absorbed by the mystery of perceiving dancers move in space and me responding to an imprint, an idea of an ongoing process. changing light sources created different angles of perception and reality felt stretched in a surrealistic way. phosphonotop is part of the off mozart festival 2006 and open to the public at the holzpavillon / mirabellgarten in salzburg, austria until october 6, 2006.

more information at http://www.victoriacoeln.at/vc/projekte/phosphonotop-parkderfrauen.htm

bankart theatre

the prestigeous bankart theatre in yokohama is a perfect location for the performance project. the building used to belong to a banking cooperation and was turned in the 60ies into an art center, providing space for performance work, teaching and exhibitions. the theatre space is booked from november 8th to 11th. the time frame gives us one day to build up the set-design, the premiere is scheduled for november 9th.

edinburgh international festival

a selection of photographic work is currently on display at the occasion of the edinburgh international festival in collaboration with the modern dance company eg | pc emio greco and pieter scholten as well as the dutch photographer victor bergen-henegouwen.

italian cultural institute
82 nicolson street
edinburgh eh8 9ew (through october 2006)

so what

...face is spirit, is an eye, inside and out, is black and white, is line and life, is a spiral. so what is the latest creation of japanese artist akemi takeya. I photographed her work at the impulstanz festival vienna.

three

just a bit about the performance project in japan... the project is called three - a mixed media installation to wonder through and experience, a living organism, designed and re-designed by the performers as well as the audience. I will carry out three in collaboration with the japanese dancers sengiku bando and ryohei kondo. the work will be presented for the first time at bankart theatre yokohama november 9 - 11, 2006.
the aim of the performance is to open up the traditional settings of a theatre and to create a story telling with various spacial and visual entities. the artists and the spectators share the same space and travel along given points, indicating the passing and alteration of time. video walls are set up as an additional carrier, pre-recorded memory based material is put on the same time horizon with the live performance.

three is generously sponsored by arnold obermayr, director of the austrian art forum at the austrian embassy in tokyo.

austrodance festival

I am presenting a selection of fine art prints and a video installation at the austrian cultural forum washington dc in conjunction with the austrodance festival 2006 beyond the waltz.

austrian cultural forum
3524 international court nw
washington dc 20008-3027
usa
opening october 11 (through january 2007)

wir_hier

wir_hier is a media project with long-term detainees at a state prison in vienna, austria. the aim is to support artistic potential that has so far been neglected and carry creative work out into public space with the hope of causing awareness. I joined the project as a photographer in 2004. in october there is a chance to view current work at the kuenstlerhaus wien, 1010 vienna (october 3 - 12).

tokyo

I am heading off to tokyo on september 4th and intend to stay up to six months. two of the dancers I am going to work with are sengiku bando and ryohei kondo. I feel deeply excited and moved. what a trip.

hell

hell is the latest production of the dutch dance company eg | pc emio greco and pieter scholten. I stayed with the company in amsterdam and montpellier as a photographer and witnessed the development of the piece until its final stage. hell had its premiere at the montpellier dance festival in july 2006.

irgendheimsein

irgendheimsein is the title of a dance performance I had the pleasure to direct in spring 2006 with dancers of compagnie quivive. the theme is on identity, perceptions of the world around and the very own history. we continuously searched for boundaries and new territory to live in and I am grateful to all the dancers I worked with.

photo (c) helmut prochart

welcome!

this is laurent, welcome to my very first blog!

there is a lot of travelling ahead, so let us stay in touch. keep blogging and posting whatever you feel like - and where ever you are.

;-)

photo (c) chris zvitkovits