HARD PLAY
PREMIERE 2024, MMCA - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
PERFORMANCE, 45 MIN
2 PERFORMERS, ELECTRIC GUITAR, COSTUMES, SOUNDTRACK
CONCEPT, CHOREOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE: MIRIAM KONGSTAD
SOUND, LIVE PERFORMANCE: HEVA VAUPEL
COMMISSIONED BY MMCA (KR) AND ARTHUB (DK)
Hard Play is a choreographic performance and analysis of children's games, exploring how we are trained to perform (gender) identities and social norms from an early age. The piece is conceived as a duet, blending the performer's physical movements with a dynamic live soundscape created by musician Heva Vaupel. The focal point of the choreography is a 1.5-meter braid attached to the performer's hair, symbolically morphing into various objects commonly associated with children’s games such as a princess's hair, a dog leash, a lasso, a skipping rope, and a whip. Each transformation of the braid invites the audience to journey through a spectrum of emotions and scenarios—ranging from joy and fantasy to elements of horror. Through these transformations, Hard Play not only showcases the innocence and creativity inherent in children's games but also examines the underlying social constructs these activities perpetuate. The performance's innovative use of repetition in both music and movement highlights the persistent and often unnoticed ways in which these early experiences influence our adult lives.
FULL-LENGTH REGISTRATION HERE (45 MIN)
2024, DEN FRIE UDSTILLINGSBYGNING, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, VIDEO BY CHRISTIAN BREMS
2024, MMCA - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, PHOTOS BY SEUNGHYUK PARK
