Fremdkörper

Where does your consciousness reside? It may seem like a simple question, but the answer is not so evident. Because if it is in your head, where does it go when you sleep? These are questions that preoccupy the performance duo Boogaerdt/VanderSchoot, especially because of their interest in the transition zones where the conscious and unconscious intersect. They say: ‘If you become familiar with these unconscious transitions, you may be able to get a better grip on reality’.

The title Fremdkörper, which means ‘foreign body’ or ‘intruder’, here refers to the pivotal role the body plays in their work, as well as to the difficulty in coming to grips with its control. On top of this, the ‘intruder’ that is corona prompts us to strive towards communal healing. Now that it feels as if people only exist as heads on screens, they are looking for ways to re-establish a healthy and sane contact with themselves, their bodies and the world around them. Sleep temples They discovered the ritual practices of ancient Greek philosophers and mystics like Parmenides and Pythagoras. Scholars would hold sleep gatherings in special temples with the aim of excavating important information from the unconscious, for example pertaining to health and healing. They made use of all sorts of rituals and objects of symbolic significance, such as animal skins. Boogaerdt and Van der Schoot suggest we rediscover this ancient Greek custom of temple sleep to reinvent society, as these philosophers and their sciences form the basis of modern Western society. Part of a group Boogaerdt and Van der Schoot say that in order to better care for the world, people need to become aware of the role they play as a part of this world. This, however, is not easy: ‘It takes a lot of empathy to feel at one with the world, especially now that it seems so fragmented’. They hope their work will make it possible to experience this unity so that people, who are self-isolating during this pandemic and sometimes only have contact with others through digital media, can once more feel as if part of something larger, a group. Breathing puppets will give visitors the feeling of being surrounded by people. But the idea is that this feeling of connection will emerge from within the body itself as well. By going on a journey of sorts as a group, each individual into their own unconscious, we discover people are not so different from each other after all. Journey of discovery It is typical for Boogaerdt and Van der Schoot to involve the audience in their work, whether actively or passively, as in Fremdkörper. The duo is always looking for ways to let people discover something for themselves. Rather than taking them by the hand, they offer a journey of discovery so people can find out for themselves where it is that human consciousness resides. Installation and ceremony The duo also gives the audience the freedom to choose and a sense of personal responsibility. This is why they present their work as both an installation and a ceremony. In this way, people can decide for themselves how long they wish to stay and what to focus their attention on specifically. The audience that chooses to participate in the ceremony has a bit more to hold onto, but here too the performers are not the ones offering an experience. It is the audience itself - under the performers’ guidance - which creates its own experience. That this should cause irritation with some members of the audience is no problem, because the true meaning of the work is found beyond this resistance.