I Will Not Bury My Romantic Soul is an experiment in search of how to make sense of our own bodies.

From Ellen: I expierence my body often as num, alien to itself and hyper sensitive. I believe bodies carry certain burdens with them. One year ago I stumbled upon a video on youtube called ‘Memoria do corpo’ by the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark. After this significant encounter I started a journey guided by Lygia of collecting objects and applying them to peoples bodies. In silence, repetitively, in the their own home and over a specific period of time. In these sessions I practice sensible listening to the other and open up for spaces where new pulsations and sensations can arise, in the hope that some of our burdens can be lightened. The performance is the result of my desire to open up my research in a collective experience bringing together deep rooted personal fascinations for curious worlds such as ‘Ikebana’ and ‘Haikus’ (traditional Japanese flower arrangement & poetry), ‘ASMR’ (autonomous sensory meridian response) and various of therapeutic healing practices.”

Concept & performance: Ellen Vanderstraeten
Performers: Zofia Blanka Tomczyk, Michelle Saenz Bu, Inga Steinunn Henningsdóttir
Mentorship by: Alexander Roberts, Steinunn Ketilsdóttir, Satu Herrala
Thanks for Artistic Advice: Michikazu Matsune, Kate McIntosh, Florencia Orlandino, Ian Sinclair, Loren Rubicana, Haraldur Jónsson, Eva Rún Snorradóttir
Special thanks to: María Arnardóttir, Elsa Mencagli, Yann Leguay
Collaboration on costumes: Tanja Huld Levý Guðmundsdóttir
Technical Assistance: Aron Martin Ásgerðarson
Premiere: Celestial Bodies Festival
Photo: Maciej Zakrzewski