Drop City presents CHOREOGRAPHY

About

The exhibition takes as its starting point the work of the French writer/director Marguerite Duras and in particular, two of her films: India Song (1975) and Baxter, Vera Baxter (1977). In both films, as in many of the novels, a central figure, herself inert, acts as the epicentre. In one film, she lies in bed all day, never leaving the house while the rest of the characters constellate around her story. In the other, she moves ‘alone, queen like’ through various ambassadorial parties and stilted, stylised and detached entanglements with a series of beautiful young men. Both films trace the choreography of these central lacunae who delineate and encrypt desire but are themselves disconnected from any emotional life. These ‘lovers without love’ act as the critical centre point in much of Duras’ work. 

The space will be activated by the works of the artists and by a series of talks and readings. To begin, four writers and artists will meet to read from original work drawing on Marguerite Duras as well as excerpts from her own writings on Friday the 16th June at Arcade. A further discussion on ideas contained and generated by the work of Duras will be hosted and transcribed by Ghislaine Leung during Drop City’s three-month residency at M_HKA in Antwerp.