About Creation
Age of Audience: For all age / Nudity
Number of Performers: 2 persons
Number of tour member: 3-5 persons
Stage Size: 10m (W) x 10m (D) x 7m (H)
Special Made for: Not suited for outdoor setting. It has been successfully held in both theaters and museums.
LEEVAKULYA is making new piece Burnt [the eternal long now] and going to tour it from the end of 2022. The multiple touring dates and places of these two works are as below. Contact us for more details.
Together Alone, originally commissioned in 2016 by the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei, was conceived as a solo piece performed by two persons. Performers Lee Chen- Wei and Zoltán Vakulya explore the inherent paradox of the title, grappling with the tension between loneliness and co-existence. On an unadorned stage, and without any clothes, the pair undergo a process of constant communication, compromise and cooperation, exposing the invisible borders of two seemingly close bodies. In an uniquely intimate space and time, and in a constant cycle of harmony and conflict, there is convergence, transformation, destruction and reconstruction. Together Alone was nominated for a Taishin Arts Award in 2016.
About
LEEVAKULYA is a collaborative duo by Lee Chen-Wei and Zoltán Vakulya. Based in Brussels, the pair has been working together since 2016, making several stage works and museum/ gallery format pieces. Their artistic focus is on the delicate relations between human beings and society while touching on vulnerable but critical issues on the boundaries and proximity, pushing the limits of partnership and empathy. Their works have been awarded and nominated for Taishin Art Award for Performing Arts Awards in 2016, 2019, 2021 (Taiwan), Total Theatre Award 2017 (United Kingdom), Asian Art Awards 2017 (United Kingdom), TECO Award for the art of dance 2020 (Taiwan) and Jeon Mak Arts Award 2017 (South-Korea).
How did you decide to make the naked body the core vehicle for expression in this work?
The decision happened after we realized that fragility is expressed at its fullest when we remove layers. In working together, we had to remove many layers of ourselves, an idea that naturally materialized in a visual sense. We talked a lot about unity, which is possible in an even deeper sense and more apparent when there are as few obstacles as possible between the two of us. Part of the research for this show was based on the idea of conjoined bodies, which works better when clothes are removed..
Considering the need for social distancing during Covid, did you find any differences in performing this work, “Together Alone,” before and after the pandemic?
During the pandemic, we experienced the body in isolation. This is interesting because “Together Alone” is in a way about isolation too, not only freedom and a celebration of touch and balance. In the show, we restricted ourselves to staying together and getting as close as possible, nearly to a place where we might read each other’s mind. All the restrictions against the virus (masks, face shields, the 1.5 meter social distance, etc.) made our physical connection stronger than ever. It plays a big part in our society, but we did not realize it until the moment we couldn’t have it, like so many other things. In a way, through the pandemic, we were given a strong reminder about how essential touch is…”Together Alone” is a chance for us and our audience to somehow gain back a little of what we have lost in the past few years.
Event
TOUR INFORMATION
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Residency
29 August -9 September 2022
Celrá, Spain
L’animal a l’esquena
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Residency
19 September -30 September 2022
Mechelen, Belgium
Nona Arts Center
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Residency
3-13 October 2022
Ghent, Belgium
Arts Center VIERNULVIER
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Premiere
26-27 October 2022
Mechelen, Belgium
Nona Arts Center
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
8-9 November 2022
Germany
Tanzplattform Rhein-Main
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
25-27 November 2022
Taipei, Taiwan
National Theater & Concert Hall, Taiwan
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
2-3 December 2022
Yilan, Taiwan
Yilan Performing Arts Center
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
09 December 2022
Pingtung, Taiwan
Pingtung Performing Arts Center
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
20-25 November 2023
Barcelona, Spain
Mercat de les Flors
Together Alone
Performance
20-25 November 2023
Barcelona, Spain
Mercat de les Flors
Burnt [the eternal long now]
Performance
28-29 November 2023
Leuven, Belgium
STUK Arts Center