#Simple2Go 12: The Giant Aquarium

"Imagine an oversized aquarium or swimming pool. Inside are all kinds of objects, and also artists. Most of them dance to themselves. But every now and then they move together. They keep changing their costumes, their positions in the room, in aquariums, at a wooden table with a diary and so on." I sent this WhatsApp message to my partner after an hour and a half at MAKK, where the piece takes place. 

And so it went on. Suddenly, the man in the golden dress grabs a pair of clogs and runs around the room with them. These are Dutch wooden shoes.

Back at home later on, I wonder: Could my athletic father also run barefoot with these? He has been living in Germany since I was born, which is almost 40 years ago: Maybe he is a "power migrant", an efficient immigrant, so to speak. 

The words "POWER MIGRANT" are projected on a wooden wall behind the dancer in the dress. I didn't know what that was about. In front of it, it said "FUCKING GENDER" and "Icecream". In other words, social criticism was well provided for. 

"BIOTOPE" literally means “living space”. The lively dance piece was created by the Dutch artist collective “United Cowboys”, together with Sommerblut.

The live music is unobtrusively rhythmic, and switches between ambient, hip hop and R&B influences, which is not uncommon in contemporary dance productions like these. Also brass, vocals and guitar interludes are added to the mix. The reverberation of the room blurs any rough sounds.

I am impressed: Nine artists are in motion for four hours. The movements are mostly slow, reminiscent of animals.

A beautiful, seemingly never-ending living perpetual motion - a perpetual motion machine!