As artists coming from the global south, our survival technique has been to
learn and adapt to artistic codes that we see that are accepted and
supported by institutions. Today paradigms and values are slowly
changing, and there is space for new perspectives and opportunities, but it
remains extremely crucial to keep deconstructing our artistic heritage that,
for so long, established distinctions between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art —
distinctions that, in some contexts, reflect classist, racist, and colonial
biases.
One of the goals of our work has been to question and blur the boundaries
of artistic genres and practices while exploring new possibilities for
contemporary dance. We would love to create intimate connections with
audiences based in human warmth and entertainment, potentially reaching those who have traditionally been excluded from theater spaces.
A large part of my work consists of reconciling elements and practices from my past and present to build bridges between people, places, and
practices from horizons. During this research, we hope to continue
exploring and defining key concepts in my artistic process, which has been
both a working method and a survival strategy for me and my close
collaborators.
This research is connected to the creation of our new piece, La Noche de
Aparición, blending clowning, dance, ghost stories, horror film aesthetics,
and Mexican folklore.
Désirée was born in Mexico in 1992. She did her visual art studies in
Rennes (France) in 2011 and then moved to Belgium in 2018, and since
then she has worked as a performer for renowned creators, developed her
own work, and also coached and taught in several schools and academic
organisations in Brussels and Flanders. Her work has a strong relationship
with magic, gatherings, decolonisation, immigration, and healing.
Born in 1994 in Medellin, Lulu moved to Belgium in 2016 to study in
P.A.R.T.S. where they obtained their bachelor and master degree. As a
performer they have worked in projects such as “Ne Mosquito Pas” by
Simon Van Schuylenbergh and “GERMAN STAATSTHEATER” by Rosie
Sommers & Micha Goldbergh. As a music composer, they have
collaborated with Joshua Serafin for their performance “VOID” (2022), with Nathan Ooms for “Donkey” (2023) and most recently with Mario Barrantes in “Flesh can’t can’ t not’ t ‘tis flesh h” (2024).
In 2022/2023 Désirée and Lulu created their first performance La Fiesta
de Delfina that was presented in Mestizo Arts Festival (2022), There is
Nothing Wrong With People in Kaai Studios (2023), ON_OFF_SPACE in
DeSingel (2023), Love at First Sight Festival in Arenberg (2023) and in
Próximamente in KVS (2023).
In 2025 they will create her new project La Noche de Aparición.
Picture © Arnaud Beelen
