Cristina Caprioli (Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement) has quietly and substantially influenced multiple generations of choreographers during her three decades of provocative physical research”. He continues: “In the mid-1990s, Caprioli founded the independent organisation ccap, wherein she has produced a wide variety of performances, installations, films, objects, publications and other ‘choreographies’, alongside focussed long-term interdisciplinary research projects. Caprioli’s choreography is characterised by precision, complexity and emergent forms of physical virtuosity. All of her productions challenge the field’s normative formats and exchange economies and the philosophical underpinnings of her canon have balanced rigorous conceptual research with engaging and highly accessible embodied experiences. Caprioli’s commitment to the advancement, evolution and development of our art form has been an industry inspiration and her under the radar approach to all that she undertakes belies the exceptional quality and integrity of her 360° creative process.
Trajal Harrell (Silver Lion) is a true original: his foundational research is based on a rich conversation between post-modern dance, the New York voguing scene and Japanese dance Butoh. His work reimagines our pasts and laughs at chronological, geographical and cultural distance, leading to performances in venues dedicated as much to visual arts as to live theatre. Harrell uses the tools of critical thought, in particular research about gender, feminism and post-colonialism, to mine his own deep knowledge of art and dance history. The result of extensive research, his shows are like so many sensitive, hybrid and joyful objects that borrow equally from fashion, pop culture, and avant-garde artists. It is in this unique mix of genres, the surprising juxtaposition of forms and uniquely vast emotional range that Harrell’s work engages and enthrals. We laugh as quickly as we cry in a visceral and sensorial rollercoaster of poignancy and joy.
