Björn Säfsten
We're all dancing to the tune of our own desires, wrapped in a pink string of digital obsession.
BJÖRN SÄFSTEN
HAUNTED DESIRES
Studio presentation as part of the ‘36 Hours of Dance’ event on 24 October, 10.00–14.00
We're all dancing to the tune of our own desires, wrapped in a pink string of digital obsession.
In a raw exploration of digital algorithms, body ideals and the invisible communication that shapes our reality, three gay men delve into their feeds by examining what we all spend far too much time looking at. Through the reflections of our screens, the choreography delves into the mass production of the material that constantly overwhelms us. From this, a choreography is born: three beings immersed in their seemingly random scrolling, cast adrift in a place where the only thing they can do is practise their own language. By wallowing in their desires and inhibitions, these images and feelings are explored in a series of scenes that are as fragile as they are intense.
In Haunted Desires, Björn Säfsten continues to delve into humanity's constant failure in communication and what it does to the individual. In this piece, the gaze is specifically directed at iconography created by men who wish to be desired by other men, as the dancers arbitrarily transform select clips from the algorithms thrown at them in social media. On stage, the autobiographical merges with the fictional, the sought-after with the real, in a flicker of exposed haunted desire. The thing that you desire, perhaps you must become?
About Björn Säfsten
In the work and practice of choreographer Björn Säfsten, the body, the mind and their interconnected actions are scrutinised, dissected and exposed. The focus is often on exploring how different patterns of thought can alter the way we move. The choreography in question is seen as the result of a dialogue between each performer’s movement heritage and the choreographic concept. The physical practice reveals images that arise from a particular physical action, often seeking to transform its possible representations.
The work takes visual twists and turns, often shaping itself as it is performed, redefining itself anew each time it encounters a new audience. He aims to expose physical dilemmas, deliberately creating situations in which the performer’s thoughts are revealed and laid bare to the viewer. The work plays with the notion of language – striving to confuse and divert the viewer from the usual ways of interpreting the body. The body is seen as a complex interplay of wills, desires and directions, moving away from the notion of a single physical and mental entity. The precise texture of the individual movement lies at the heart of the work.
Credits: Haunted Desires
Credits:
Choreography: Björn Säfsten, in close collaboration with Pär Andersson, Philip Berlin, Sam Huczkowski, Marcus Baldemar and Joaquín Collado
Script: Björn Säfsten and Pär Andersson
Dance: Pär Andersson, Marcus Baldemar and Joaquín Collado
Lighting design: Jonatan Winbo
Set design: Björn Säfsten and Jonatan Winbo
Costume: Björn Säfsten
Construction and Manufacturing Technician, Dansens Hus: Johannes Fäst
Dramaturgy: Kristina Hagström-Ståhl
Photography: Märta Thisner
Voice actors: Klas Lagerlund and Dan McLellan
Audio editor: Joakim Lundgren
Intimacy coordinator: Sara Arrhusius
Production: Nordberg Movement
Co-production: Inkonst
Created during a residency at: Inkonst and La Caldera Centre de Creació de Dansa Barcelona
With support from: the Swedish Arts Council, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, the City of Stockholm and Region Stockholm
Special thanks to: Palmer Lydebrant