Written by Henri Julien Sandront

Franz West’ plastered chairs and papier-maché Pass-stücke, also known as Adaptives, dating from as early as the mid-1970s, heralded the era of relational aesthetics of the 1990s. The Austrian artist put his focal point on the interactive potential of a work of art rather than its sole aesthetic quality. The usual passive attitude of the audience in a gallery or museum space is challenged: the visitor is meant to (responsibly) touch, play and experience with the Pass-stücke. Unfortunately Franz West’s Adaptives rarely meet their original purpose in the museum and gallery context. The work is deemed too fragile and conservators are reluctant to let the audience make use of the sculptures as intended.

Bulgarian-born performance artist Ivo Dimchev (1976) premiered X-on as part of the Something Raw Festival organized by Brakke Grond, House of Flemish Culture in Amsterdam. X-on is the fruit of a collaboration between Ivo Dimchev and Franz West. It is not the first time that Dimchev works together with the Austrian artist. In 2010 he opened Franz West’s exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in Rome with a performance:

In X-on,  by means of repetitiveness and rawness that flirt with awkward humor, Franz West’s chairs and sculptures are used by the four performers, including Dimchev himself, or rather his dragqueen alter-ego Lili Handel, which might at first sight remind one of renowned South-African performance artist Steven Cohen.

The Japanese dance movement Butoh is a great source of inspiration for the Bulgarian choreographer and performer. The diva Lili Handel is full of tension, if not spasmatic at times. She poignantly sings and strikes poses as her three copy-cats performers imitate her moves.

For some reason, Franz West fits well amongst high-heels, outbursts of high-pitched singing and  tragi-grotesque sets of movements. Dimchev’s X-on takes the Pass-stücke by the horn into the realm of physical theater. Dimchev completes West by giving his work another level of understanding in which performativity, sculpturality and musicality of the objects are brilliantly put together in relation to body and voice.

by: Ivo Dimchev, in collaboration with Franz West | performers: Ivo Dimchev, Yen Yi-tzu, Christian Bakalov, Veronika Zot | music Ivo Dimchev, Philipp Quehenberger | lighting: Giacomo Gorini | sculptures and artistic advice: Franz West | production: Humarts Foundation | co-production: Frascati (Amsterdam), Kaaitheater (Brussels), ImPulsTanz (Vienna), Volksroom (Brussels)

X-on will be performed again in September 2012 in Brugge (BE), in November 2012 in Berlin (DE) and in January 2013 in Ghent (BE). For other performances by Ivo Dimchev, check http://www.ivodimchev.com/schedule.htm

Featured image top of page: Franz West ©