Big L Day
On 29 June, Lausanne turned the House of Switzerland into a giant stage for performing arts.
At the House of Switzerland, provoking the joyful collision of sport and art is what we do. It was also the agenda of the best-known artists from Lausanne's performing arts scene, invited by Lausanne's Vidy and Arsenic theatres to stage a programme of contemporary dance and debate until well into the night. Between sets, the independent label Creaked Records provided the sound, including the likes of Gaspard de la Montagne, La Vie C’est Facile and My Panda Shall Fly. Here are the main acts of Big L Day (and night!):
Artist and performer Massimo Furlan draws on his childhood for his material. He was one of the first artists to mix football and contemporary art. As far back as 2002, he was replaying the legendary 1982 final Germany–Italy, alone and without a ball, in an offbeat skit that surprised and delighted audiences at the Pontaise stadium. In 2003, he created his own dance and performance company, Numero 23. His film was shown on the giant screen at the Wanderlust, and at the start of the evening the artist went up on stage with his friend, the artist Fred Poulet to debate with the public. (Film: 12:30 and 16:30. Debate: 18:00)
Jinx 103, is the name of the Hungarian-Swiss dance and choreography double act performed by Jozsef Trefeli with Gabor Varga or Gyula Cserepes. The performers play with urban props and exploit their surroundings for the purposes of artistic expression and to bring memories back to life. (16:00 and 19:00)
Krassen Krastev views the body as a narcissistic material, which he delights in contorting, exposing and exaggerating, in order to engage with the audience. In this production he brings out feelings of desire and repulsion in an enigmatic performance with Bang Gang. (20:00 and 22:00)
For the young choreographer Maud Blandel, dance is a critical medium, a manifestation of anxieties. What subject could more aptly examine the limits between art and sport than the fate of a cheerleader – the dated image of a girl brandishing pompoms? (21:30 and 23:00)
Marie-Caroline Hominal is one of the most powerful and intriguing dancers and choreographers today. In her variegated, outspoken performance, the artist questions the very concept of the 'show' in the guise of a one-woman band who goes by the name of Silver. (23:30)
