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Fashion and technology combine to make an impact across borders

13:09 02/01/2018
A cross-border, cross-disciplinary project brings performing arts and creative technologies together in Liège

Choreographer Louise Vanneste’s latest production embodies the transversal spirit of Impact, a recent regional initiative led by the Théâtre de Liège. Thérians was one of dozens of performances, exhibitions, workshops, conferences and other events all celebrating the intersection of research, application and artistic practice.

Contemporary art, fashion and technology have, of course, long enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Innovation in one sphere invariably spurs experimentation in the others. It was in this spirit that partner institutions from five Meuse-Rhine cities – Liège, Eupen, Hasselt, Maastricht and Aachen – joined forces in June 2016 to launch Impact: the International Meeting in Performing Arts and Creative Technologies. The goal was to facilitate collaborationacross borders and industrial sectors.

Artists, academic researchers and captains of industry joined forces for a slew of projects that were presented during the Impact forum in November 2017.

Liège – and in particular its celebrated theatre – took the lead. In addition to hosting the lion’s share of Impact events, the Théâtre de Liège also recruited Vanneste and co-produced Thérians. The choreographer was hesitant when first approached by theatre management to develop a new production incorporating cutting-edge technology.

“I wasn’t sure,” she says. “I didn’t want a gimmick. Nothing flashy. I wanted something that could complement the performance in a more subtle way. So I thought about it for a while and suggested we might be able to do something interesting with the wardrobe.”

Vanneste and her new partners at the Théâtre de Liège duly began a lengthy, often surreal dialogue with Belgian textile laboratory Centexbel. “I arrived at our first meetings with a very definite concept,” she says. “I wanted a synthetic fabric that would emulate the iridescence and complexity of duck feathers.”

She didn’t just arrive with a concept; Vanneste brought with her a thoroughly researched portfolio of wildlife photographs and documents. Her interlocutors rose to the challenge. “The folks at Centexbel listened very intently,” she says. “Obviously they come from an entirely different world but they wanted to follow this vision wherever it led. They had a great deal of empathy.” Thus began the prototype process.

Vanneste reckons they went through 20 models, testing each under the intense glare of real theatre spotlights. “There was a lot of running around,” she says, laughing. “But we had to make sure the fabric worked in context.”

In the event, nothing quite delivered the organic subtlety that Vanneste required. So Centexbel reached out across the border to German pigment manufacturer Eckart, a frequent partner on industrial projects. Together they forged the fabric of Vanneste’s dreams.

“It’s the perfect black surface with a translucent green lining,” she says. “The colours absolutely flow with the dancers’ movements. At certain angles the costume is flat black. At others the lining catches the light to create a fluid sheen. It’s exactly what we wanted.”

Next, Vanneste set about creating a choreography with the new fabric – and all its luminous possibilities – in mind. The final product, Thérians, is a ‘solo’ performance for two, set to an electro-organic soundtrack by Brussels-based performer and composer Cédric Dambrain. Brussels- based dancer Youness Khoukhou kicks off the performance. Vanneste joins him midway, at which point Khoukhou withdraws and leaves the choreographer to finish the performance in solitude.

Thérians premiered in Paris this year before coming home to play in the context of the inaugural Impact forum. It was an edifying experience for Vanneste and her company. “Impact is a very interesting idea,” she says. “These different worlds are always so separate. It’s good to break those barriers and meet people who see the world differently. We have so much to teach each other.”

This article first appeared in WAB (Wallonia and Brussels) magazine

Written by Georgio Valentino

Comments

Hilda

I also have a good example of fashion and technology combination :) Watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NLkBvPAYnk
This is a case study of Skywell Software AR/VR company for Ukrainian Fashion Week

May 23, 2019 13:52