Playgroundfestival presents a shortlist of premieres

For the eighth time, M – Museum Leuven and STUK combine forces for Playground.  This distinctive festival explores the captivating zone between visual arts and performance. Important national and international representatives of this cross-over are coming to Leuven from the 13th of november until the 16th of november. At the same time M - Museum Leuven opens the first solo exhibition in Belgium of Ellie Ga (US).

This year Playground offers several premieres.  Here is a small selection of this year’s edition:

Belgian premiere | performance

Joëlle Tuerlinckx (BE)  |  «THAT’S IT» (+3 MINUTEN GRATIS)

Joëlle Tuerlinckx embraces the challenge of translating her visual oeuvre to the stage. The audience witnesses her curious and critical exploration of the limits of this medium’s possibilities. This creation is a collaboration with Tate Modern London and If I Can’t Dance Amsterdam.

premiere | continuous action

Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmus (RO)  |  Public Collection

Iconic and forgotten artworks are depicted by a group of performers. This continuous action creates an immaterial counterpart to a series of visual artworks.

premiere | performance & exhibition

Ellie Ga (US)  |  Eureka, A Lighthouse Play

In her oeuvre, Ellie Ga combines the documentary with narrative genres. Her new work is based on intensive research and diving expeditions to the ancient lighthouse of Pharos in Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Together with her exhibition Pharos in M, she brings a hypnotising performance at STUK.

premiere | performance

Marthe Ramm Fortun (NO)  |  Riots I have known and loved

The artist takes us on a unique tour of Leuven, blending slogans, music and anecdotes from the student protests of May ’68 in Leuven with her personal perspective, fiction and improvisation.

premiere | performance

Béatrice Balcou (F)  |  Untitled Ceremony #04

One piece of M’s collection is the focal point for a carefully orchestrated ceremony of restrained movements. The artist invites us to observe this one artwork with the utmost attention.

premiere | performance

Meryem Bayram (BE)  |  Autonomous Scenography

This production grew out of Meryem Bayram’s  facination with pop-up books. She developed a performance with life-sized basic shapes and invited a number of performers to unleash their imaginations on the installation

Belgian premiere | performance

Julian Hetzel (DE)  |  I’m not here says the void

This visual performance is about sculpting fear.  Speaking curtains, touch sensitive couches and choreographed plastic foil are part of this disturbing universe.

Playground is also showing work from Markus Schinwald (AT), Paul Hendrikse (NL), Guy de Cointet (FR), Alexandre Singh (FR/UK), Radio Arte Mobile (IT), Anne-mie Van Kerckhoven & Marc Vanrunxt (BE).

More information & interview requests

Playground is a collaboration between M – Museum Leuven and STUK. You find the complete programme at www.playgroundfestival.be or you can download the full programme on this page.

Following artists will be present in Belgium: Meryem Bayram (from3/11), Joëlle Tuerlinckx (from 6/11),  Béatrice Balcou (from 10/11), Paul Hendrikse (from 27/10), Marthe Ramm Fortun (from 11/11), Ellie Ga (9/11 – 14/11) en Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmus (12/11- 14/11).

For further information, interview requests or press tickets please contact :
M – Museum Leuven  •  Veerle Ausloos - + 32 16 27 29 38 - [email protected]
STUK  •  Frank Geypens -  +32 16 320 313 - [email protected]