Dance for Nothing (revisited)
Performance · German premiere by Eszter Salamon
In the frame of :Love: Tickets
In the performance “Dance for Nothing (revisited)”, presented at Radialsystem as a German premiere, the choreographer Eszter Salamon revisits John Cage’s “Lecture on Nothing” (1949). In 2010, Salamon first approached this work, widely regarded as one of the most important texts of 20th-century experimental literature, in her solo performance “Dance for Nothing”, which combined Cage’s words with movement.
This time, Eszter Salamon experiments with the modulation and transformation of physical gestures and focuses on the sonic aspect of Cage’s groundbreaking lecture on nothing, emptiness, and composition. To do this, she uses an earlier performance of her own, in which she repeated Cage’s text following a slowed-down recording by American cellist and composer Frances-Marie Uitti – a layering of interpretations, so to speak – and thus creates an auditory exploration of translation and transference. Salamon’s merging of body, voice and score establishes the framework for a meditation on the simultaneity of movement and sound as well as on interpretation.
“Dance for Nothing (revisited)” will be presented at Radialsystem as part of the :LOVE: cooperation between Tanzfabrik Berlin and Radialsystem. With the Radialsystem ♥ Tanzfabrik initiative, the two institutions have joined forces to specifically improve the presentation conditions for dance professionals in Berlin.
Artist talk
Following the performance, we invite you to an artist talk with Eszter Salamon and Matthias Mohr (in English).
On 08.03.2025 “Reappearance” (2022) and “Summer Games” (2023)” two films by Eszter Salamon will be shown.
This time, Eszter Salamon experiments with the modulation and transformation of physical gestures and focuses on the sonic aspect of Cage’s groundbreaking lecture on nothing, emptiness, and composition. To do this, she uses an earlier performance of her own, in which she repeated Cage’s text following a slowed-down recording by American cellist and composer Frances-Marie Uitti – a layering of interpretations, so to speak – and thus creates an auditory exploration of translation and transference. Salamon’s merging of body, voice and score establishes the framework for a meditation on the simultaneity of movement and sound as well as on interpretation.
“Dance for Nothing (revisited)” will be presented at Radialsystem as part of the :LOVE: cooperation between Tanzfabrik Berlin and Radialsystem. With the Radialsystem ♥ Tanzfabrik initiative, the two institutions have joined forces to specifically improve the presentation conditions for dance professionals in Berlin.
Artist talk
Following the performance, we invite you to an artist talk with Eszter Salamon and Matthias Mohr (in English).
On 08.03.2025 “Reappearance” (2022) and “Summer Games” (2023)” two films by Eszter Salamon will be shown.
Eszter Salamon
Eszter Salamon (she/her) is a choreographer, filmmaker, artist and performer. She lives in Berlin, Paris and Budapest. Salamon uses choreography as an activating and organising force between different media such as image, sound, music, text, voice, body movement and action. Since 2001, she has created solo pieces and large-scale performances, performative installations and films that have been shown internationally in performance venues and museums, including the Centre Pompidou Paris, New York's MoMA, the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, the MACBA Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, the Akademie der Künste Berlin, the mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien and many more. Her exhibition ‘Eszter Salamon 1949’ was presented at the Jeu de Paume in Paris in 2014. Salamon's performative installation ‘Study for the Valeska Gert Pavilion’ was presented at the 16th Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyon in 2022. Her most recent film ‘Sommerspiele’ (2023) premiered at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and was shown at the Centre Pompidou Paris in 2024.
Concept and dance: Eszter Salamon
Music: John Cage
Organisation and production: Alexandra Wellensiek
An event by Eszter Salamon, in collaboration with Alexandra Wellensiek/ Botschaft Gbr, Elodie Perrin/ Studio E.S, Institute of Speculative Narration and Embodiment.
Thanks to the Grazer Kunstverein, Tom Engels and Lilou Vidal.
Media partnerships: The Berliner, Rausgegangen, taz - die tageszeitung, tip Berlin.
Music: John Cage
Organisation and production: Alexandra Wellensiek
An event by Eszter Salamon, in collaboration with Alexandra Wellensiek/ Botschaft Gbr, Elodie Perrin/ Studio E.S, Institute of Speculative Narration and Embodiment.
Thanks to the Grazer Kunstverein, Tom Engels and Lilou Vidal.
Media partnerships: The Berliner, Rausgegangen, taz - die tageszeitung, tip Berlin.
