"GOLGOTHA"*
Steven Cohen (ZAF/F)
First production / Dance
French Premiere!
9, 10 october 2009
Fri 11.15pm, sat 11pm
You can sell everything! Buy everything! To live is to consume! To be is to have! Steven Cohen, a radical South-African performance artist fights against this world of a destructive nature. As a tribute to his brother who committed suicide and whom he considers one of the casualties of economic war, the choreographer dances, shoots and invents a pagan, accusatory and sensitive ceremony. An act of love and memory where he welcomes beauty, politics and violence... as always. “It is not about bringing the dead back to life, but to bring death unto life”.
“In Johannesburg, Steven Cohen and his partner-in-crime Elu are a moving two-headed bomb. Walking and dancing, in their work, are always on the edge of collapsing. As militant gay white guys faced with a black society unwilling to accept them, this pair is walking on the tightrope of race and artistic genre issues.” Gérard Mayen / Mouvement
See synopsis (pdf in french/88kb)
In residence: 21-25 Sept & 5-11 Oct 09
* For health reasons, Steven Cohen was not able to showcase this production at Les Subsistances in 2008; 2009 will be his year.
Parcours
Steven Cohen, a South African performance artist, develops artistic performances in various locations (stages, museums, art galleries and unusual public spaces such as taxi ranks, horse racings courses, malls, dog shows, fascists meetings, etc.). He appears at unexpected and often inopportune moments. He uses his own body and those of others to create a “living art” close to sculpture, dance and cross-dressing. His performances examine several means of expression dealing with various identity issues linked to Jewishness, homosexuality, racism and ethnic identity. At Les Subsistances, Steven has shown five shows: “I wouldn’t be seen dead in that” and “Chandelier” in 2004,“Dancing inside out”, “Maid in South Africa” and “Tradition” in 2005.
Cast and Crew
Created and performed by Steven Cohen. Photos by Marianne Greber.
Video by Steven Cohen, Marianne Greber, Joshua Thorson & Jonas Pariente.
Editing by Samuel Doux, Christophe Leraie & Steven Cohen.
Lighting Design by Erik Houllier.
Costumes by Steven Cohen.
Scenography by Steven Cohen. Associate Video Production: Agathe Berman – Les Films d’Ici. Production: Steven Cohen (South Africa - France).
Co-produced by Latitudes Prod (Lille). Coproduced by Les Subsistances / Lyon / France, Festival d’Automne Paris (Paris), Les Spectacles vivants-Centre Pompidou (Paris), Ballet Atlantique Régine Chopinot (La Rochelle), Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon (Montpellier) and Réseau Open Latitudes (Les Halles de Schaerbeek – Latitudes Contemporaines – L’Arsenic - Le Manège.mons / Maison Folie – Body/Mind). With the help of the Programme Culture de l’Union Européenne (European Union Cultural Programme).
