One Thousand and One Night
A hushed and poetic play between light, time and matter. In the theater hall of the Brakke Grond lies a thin layer of dust, collected on the spot. A beam of light casts a geometric plane of light on the floor, which shifts continuously and almost imperceptibly. Every hour the dust is swept back into line with the changing light by a performer who moves it with a gentle sweeping motion.
Edith Dekyndt plays with the impermanence of materials and actions. The rising dust makes the intangible temporarily visible, while the repetition of the movement gives a rhythm to the installation reminiscent of breathing. The work refers to the archetypal carpet as a symbol of nomadic existence and domesticity, and to the age-old tale One Thousand and One Nights, in which repetition and time stretching play an essential role.
With subtle precision, Dekyndt explores the tension between capture and disappearance, between presence and absence. The performance raises questions about labor, impermanence and the cyclical nature of human actions. One Thousand and One Nights invites visitors to consider the minimal, the mundane and the intangible in our perception of time and space.
