The Theatrical, The Performative, the Transformative

The Spring 2010 lecture series, “The Theatrical / The Performative / The Transformative,” will introduce screenings and panel discussions with paradigmatic works by key artists with strong influence on contemporary art and its theoretical discourse. The focus will be on time- based work that navigates between art, film, theater, and dance. We also seek to juxtapose artists and cultural activists of different generations and backgrounds who share an interest in feminist discourses and politics. The series is directed by Associate Professor Ute Meta Buaer, 4.310 Contemporary Curatorial Practice: Theatrical Fields; along with Professor Joan Jonas, 4.360 Performance Workshop; and Lecturer Amber Frid-Jimenez, 4.332/4.333 Advanced Seminar in Networked Cultures and Participatory Media.

February 22
Xavier Le Roy with Nell Breyer, moderator

Xavier Le Roy was born in Juvisy sur Orge, France in 1963 and studied biochemistry at the University of Montpellier. He began his dance career in 1988, performing for companies including Véronique Larcher, Compagnie de l’ Alambic, and Detektor (Berlin). In 1993 he founded Le Kwatt, initiating his own collaborations and multi-media projects. He founded his current company, “in situ productions” with Petra Roggel in 1999. In 2007/08 he was an associate artist at the Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier (CCNM), and is a fellow at the MIT Program in Art Culture and Technology. Nell Breyer is a research affiliate at MIT’s Program in Art, Culture and Technology; her work focuses on the intersection of dance, new media, and visual art.