The Biomechanics of Security
In collaboration with visual artist Farrah Karapetian
concept and direction, Farrah Karapetian; choreography by members of AnomalousCo
Choreographed by Kathryn Mederos Syssoyeva
; additional choreography by Alexei Syssoyev
The Biomechanics of Security is a work of contemporary mime drama exploring constructs of “security” in public and personal space, and the alternating mechanization and resistance of human bodies to the imposition of authority. Performed to improvised jazz piano and voice by Nina Karlson, with an installation by Farah Karapetian ”building on industrial vocabulary from the Russian Revolutionary school, VKhUTEMAS,” Biomechanics of Security premiered in New Holland Island Pavillion in St. Petersburg Russia, in June 2018.
Performance
Photo credit: Vadim Frolov
Syssoyeva and Syssoyev’s choreography intertwined multiple 20th century vocabularies of scenic movement, including classical French mime, expressive movement aesthetics drawn from Polish and Russian theatrical lineages, partnering acrobatics, and gestural phrases cited from the “Biomechanical” training etudes developed between 1915 and 1922 by director Vsevolod Meyerhold.
Training, making, rehearsing
Photo credit: Vadim Frolov
Kathryn Mederos Syssoyeva’s work on this project was supported by the CEC ARTSLINK Back Apartment Residency Program; Farrah Karapetian’s work was supported by the Fulbright Foundation.
With
Anya Zavtur/ Аня Завтур
Denis Pryitkov/ Денис Прытков
Denis Barishev/ Денис Барышев
Diana Zhdanova/ Диана Жданова
Ekaterina Tikhonova/ Екатерина Тихонова
Nikita Goldman-Koch/ Никита Гольдман-Кох
Polina Fenko/ Полина Фенько
Alexander Drugov/ Александр Другов
Sergey Goroshko/ Сергей Горошко
Victoria Grigorenko/ Виктория Григоренко
SpecialGuest (Music): Nina Karlsson/ Специальный гость (музыка): Нина Карлссон
Sound Engineer: Gintaras Rishkus / Гинтарас Ришкус
Photographer: Vadim Frolov / Вадим Фролов
Production Assistance: Anastasya Skvortsova / Анастасия Скворцова
Videographer: Ivan Konakov / Иван Конаков
Welding: Sergey Karev / Сергей Карев
THANKS TO ART OF FOTO, THE STREET ART MUSEUM, AND ESPECIALLY TO DASHA SHAMINA AT THE RUSSIAN STATE INSTITUTE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS FOR REHEARSAL SPACES. SPECIAL THANKS TO NASTYA GAYVORONSKAYA AND ALEKSEY ROUSANOV AT THE NEW HOLLAND ISLAND PAVILION FOR THE USE OF THE SPACE FOR THE LIVING SEMINAR.