Skiagraphia

The German-Persian artist Siba Sahabi does not limit himself to one medium and discipline. Often you can sense in her designs that integration of Eastern with Western culture has led to innovation and cultural richness. Her award-winning work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries such as the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan, and the Saatchi Gallery in London.
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Flamenco dancer Andrés Marín is an interesting pioneer who builds bridges between people, cultures, and disciplines. He does not care for traditional flamenco clichés such as polka dot dresses or scarves; what matters to him is the pure expressiveness of flamenco. He dances, he says, to provoke a reaction from the audience, not for the applause. That does not change the fact that he makes fireworks with his legs.

In the visual dance performance Skiagraphia - 'writing with shadow' - Andrés Marín and Siba Sahabi join forces with a unique artistic team, consisting of Dutch film director and dance dramaturg Marinus Groothof and Dutch composer Renger Koning. Besides the charismatic Marín, another dance artist has been engaged: the American dancer Kalin Morrow, known in the Netherlands for her cooperation with Club Guy & Roni and Dunja Jocic.

Central to Skiagraphia is Pliny's creation myth, which deals with the human urge to hold on to life. This ancient myth is taken to the future and linked to the modern ideas of transhumanism. This philosophical movement tries to achieve what humanity dreams of: continuing life beyond our 'expiry date', for example by uploading our brains in digital format.
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The performance explores this theme using two versions of the same person: the mortal (Marín) and the immortal (Morrow). The immortal is free from worries of limited time and explores the possibilities of an infinite life. But he also misses the emotions associated with transience, loss, and limited lifespan. If death is the driving force of life, what urge does the immortal have to live?

The theme of re-creation is made tangible by an ingeniously designed set by Siba Sahabi: a kinetic landscape of transforming, geometric sculptures set in motion by the performers in a mysterious play of light and shadow.

Concept and general management Siba Sahabi
Director Marinus Groothof
Choreography and dance Andrés Marín, Kalin Morrow
Dance interns Lotte Leppers, Quincy Otgaar, Dovilė Krutulytė
Music Renger Koning
Decor / sculptures Siba Sahabi
Costumes Anne de Grijff
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Light design Tom Visser
Technical co-ordination Seb Jongejans
Technics Seb Jongejans, Niels Kingma
PR Marleen Paping
Management Paul Dijkema
Production Stichting Siba Sahabi
Production assistant Rik Schippers