L’AQUILA – Only a few days to visit the exhibition of “Manifesto of the Now – which translated into Italian is “The Manifesto of the here and now” – a performance project conceived by the multidisciplinary artist and choreographer of Indian origin Nayana Keshava Bhat who lives in Salzburg, in close collaboration with eight other artists.
The project develops with a series of performative acts of resistance against fragmented perception; the work celebrates the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, through dance, music and poetry. “Manifesto of the Now” it is an artistic stance against the perpetual pressure of productivity, senseless and habitual behaviors, materialism, the speed of life – all reasons that cause a disconnection from the intrinsic value of things, making them and people “not enough”, making them therefore, to always desire “more”.
Perhaps we should start asking ourselves the questions – “What if as I chase a “perfect world,” I begin to take note of the world I already live in?” What if I choose to live in this world I already inhabit with the utmost awareness and care? What if I began to notice the interconnectedness of everything, to identify the power I have over the present moment? How will this affect the world I live in?”
The “Manifesto of the Here and Now” therefore entrusts the individual with the action of change. It is a revolt against one’s own internal chains of senselessness and represents the assumption of responsibility.
The intent is to exercise attention to what we have; slow down, make conscious choices, and thus offer space for the manifestation of what is already there within a performance practice, inviting us to do the same in our daily lives.
The original work, composed of seven short solos and five group acts, takes place over four days and in different spaces. Each performance is an act of resistance, in which the performers, dancers and musicians negotiate between the given choreographic structure and the imminent state of the body in relation to space and time. With distinct physical and sensory themes, the artists in each act examine the “here and now” from a different point of view. At the Multidisciplinary Art Space of “la Dama di Capestrano” – which always looks very carefully at the offer of the international artistic panorama – an extract of this particular project will be proposed. On Tuesday 2 July at 6pm and open until Sunday 7.07am there will be the inauguration of the exhibition of photographs of Raphael Mittendorfer’s project and the screening of the film “Making of a Manifesto”, created by Romanian director Mircea Sorin Albutiu and edited by Nayana herself Keshava Bhat. The documentary, made in 2022 as part of the artistic research for “Manifesto of the Now”, documents the creative processes of three improvisers, following the thread of an idea, an impulse and thus unraveling a universe; be authentic and transparent.
In this process, the artists involved reflect on the fragility, freedom and constraints of improvisation.
Following – again on Tuesday 2.07 – at 7pm – there will be a live performance by the dancer Nayana Keshava Bhat and the musician Chris Dahlgren (viola da gamba), who will perform an excerpt of the original work. In this performance, the artists present a performative manifesto, inviting the audience to contemplate and reflect on the nature of impermanence. Through dance, poetry and improvised music on the Haiku of the Japanese poets Basho and Santoka Taneda; the two artists recover the time and space lost in an increasingly frenetic life. Saturday 6.07 – again at 7pm – the performance will be repeated.
Dramaturgy: Peter Stamer – Produced by INFLUX – Network for Dance, Theater & Performance
Co-production: SZENE Salzburg – Financed by Land Salzburg, Stadt Salzburg, Bildrecht
The exhibition will be open to visitors from Tuesday 2 to Saturday 6.07 from 5pm to 8pm and Sunday 7.07.24 from 11am to 1pm – free entry – Via Aquila 7 Capestrano Aq – info 3476761404
