[ ABOUT THE CLASS ]

AN ARCHITECTURAL BODY 

“Architecture must be made to fit the body as a second, third, fourth, and, when necessary, ninth (and counting) skin.” - Madeline Gins and Arakawa

The Architectural Body, developed by artists Madeline Gins and Arakawa, offers both concept and practice in considering the profound ways that buildings and bodies mirror, mingle, and orient, ensemble. How do bodies create architectures? How do buildings act like bodies? This class imagines choreography as a well of possibility that springs from this in-between space. We will engage objects, clothing, furniture, and language, creating new relationships and events for moving with/in space.

[ ABOUT THE TEACHER ]

Biba Bell (b. 1976, Sebastopol) is a dancer, choreographer and writer. She is currently working on a new project titled excavating the room. Her choreographic work, often set in unconventional venues, focuses on domesticity, labor, and architecture and has been presented at the Kitchen, Danspace Project, Movement Research at Judson Church, Roulette, Jack NYC, Centre Pompidou, The Garage for Contemporary Culture, Jack Hanley Gallery, Calicoon Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Insel Hombroich, Creative Time at Miami Art Basel, Artissima, and Performa amongst others. She has performed with Maria Hassabi and Walter Dundervill and was a founding member of Modern Garage Movement (2005-2011). Bell earned her PhD in Performance Studies from New York University and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University.

PC: The Fleet