BLOT & Lecture | Retrocontrol Ziua 1

dance, lecture — 5.4.2023 16:00

On the 5th of April, from 7 PM, Tangaj Collective and Casa Tranzit invite you to the first evening of the Retrocontrol Tour in Cluj. In full international acclaim, artist Simona Deaconescu presents “BLOT - Body Line of Thinking,” a performance created in collaboration with Canadian choreographer Vanessa Goodman. BLOT, a powerful and compelling work performed by Simona Dabija and Maria Luiza Dimulescu, discusses our relationship with bacteria.
On April 5th, following the performance, at 8 PM, choreographer Simona Deaconescu will present the lecture ”Performative Microcosm”, a conversation about the research process behind the performance BLOT, a project that involved experiments on both scientific and choreographic levels. The project was first presented in its installation format at the Plastic Orchid Factory (Vancouver, CA), the XIII Vancouver International Dance Biennial (Vancouver, CA), and the Biofriction Exhibition (Ectopia Gallery, Lisabona, PT). The two performances from Tranzit House open the show’s 2023 tour, followed by showcases in Bucharest, Sofia, Timișoara, and Mexic.

Tickets: 5 aprilie: https://eventbook.ro/theater/bilete-blot-lecture-retrocontrol-1
6 aprilie: https://eventbook.ro/theater/bilete-blot-dance-films-retrocontrol-2


BLOT - Body Line of Thought
42’ / performance / 2022 / RO, CA, PT
by Simona Deaconescu & Vanessa Goodman
BLOT explores movement in relation to the bacteria in our body. The show presents the body as an interconnected system, strong and fragile at the same time. Stripped of the social meanings determined by language, the body is redefined through a dialogue about our coexistence with microbiological beings. In BLOT, our salts are a conductor of creativity, electricity, and infection. Salt is shared by all, from ocean to soil and body, and is an essential supporter of life on earth. A dune of salt creates a collective body on stage. Our perspiration system defines our biological identity through our unique body odor created by bacteria.


Microcosmos performativ
40’ / lecture Simona Deaconescu & dialogue with the audience
Produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, BLOT challenged the two dance makers from both artistic and production points of view. During the conference, Simona Deaconescu will discuss a hybrid body affected by the contamination process, one that significantly impacts our thoughts, feelings, and social preferences. Opening a casual conversation with the audience, Simona Deaconescu will introduce us to the method by which she and her partner Vanessa Goodman have grown their own bacteria cultures under a microscope. The manner in which they navigated through these states and the artistic tools through which they explored the microbiological world will be analyzed, explained, and questioned by Simona Deaconescu.


Tangaj Collective was founded in 2014 by choreographer Simona Deaconescu. Tangaj creates and promotes a hybrid art of in-between bodies at the edge of different genres, formats, and periods. Many of Tangaj’s works are created collectively, bringing together artists from different countries and fields. Their performative productions have been presented in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Canada, the United States of America, and Madagascar. Their dance films have been chosen for some of the world’s most prestigious screendance festivals. Tangaj Collective is the Bucharest International Dance Film Festival producer, an exquisite showcase of bodies mediated by the screen and new technologies at its ninth edition this year.


Tangaj Collective presents the two-day dance, film, and discussion program in partnership with Tranzit House as part of “Retrocontrol - Performative Documentaries on the Move,” a national and international cultural mobility project co-financed by AFCN - The Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.