SIMULACRO

On stage, two bodies perform a series of durational gestures in an exercise of intimacy, tension, and endurance.

A territory of gestures is established, serving as traces of memories, fragments of encounters, approaches, and simulations of a possible dialogue. Repetition emerges as a way to consider the gesture as a material in constant transformation and inevitable wear, and as a tool for redefining time and space.

The piece is built around an atmosphere of total intimacy, heightened through the use of headphones by the audience, which allows for a more attentive listening experience of Antonio Marotta’s sound composition. This choice places the act of watching and listening on an equal level. At the same time, the use of headphones inhibits the sound of the bodies’ noise and breath—characteristic marks of contemporary stage arts—creating a space for greater fiction, thus colliding with and questioning the notion of the real.

Beyond all this, “Simulacro” proposes a stage format that positions the audience face to face, in constant confrontation and observation of itself, thus activating a conflict between the public and the private, between intimacy and the collective.

The project lies within the field of performing arts, exploring the intersection between circus and dance, and proposing a transdisciplinary dialogue. This collaboration between Margarida Montenÿ and Carminda Soares also serves as a reflection on the interaction and relationship of two bodies from different artistic contexts and working practices, seeking moments of association and conflict. This is a meeting of the two creators’ paths, intertwined by a loving relationship that has lasted for six years. As their first collaborative work, it aims to question not only the limits of the body but also the boundaries of intimacy between non-heteronormative bodies in a performance designed for both the stage and public spaces.