Once Upon a Lucid Dream
 

Humankind behaves as if it were Master of the Universe, shaping the world to its will. This has been at the expense of Mother Nature, the guiding force of all creation. 

Location: Main Hall, M+

Choreography: Jonathan Spigner
 Music:  Once Upon a Lucid Dream by Kishi Bashi

Osmosis
 

Change does not take place instantly; it happens slowly over time. Humankind’s development is related to that of other beings and things on Earth, exerting a slow irreversible impact upon all.

Location: Atrium, M+

Choreography: Leung Chunlong
Music: Sarajevo by Max Richter 

Retribution
 

While humanity is anxious about our future survival, we disregard the cries of nature. By ignoring the needs of our environment, humanity is embarking on an unnatural path along which we resist evolving into something not yet known.  

Location: East Entrance, M+

Choreography: Luis Cabrera
Music: Ameno by ERA

The Enduring Cycle
 

Through mindful collective action, trees are planted, they flourish and grow, restoring ecological balance and harmony.  A seed sown signifies new life and offers hope for the future.

Location: Lightwell Hall, M+

Choreography: Li Lin
Music: Station by Låpsley

Siren
 

The siren can be both captivating and alarming. Sirens can issue a warning, while the Sirens of Greek mythology would lure sailors to their deaths. In the pursuit of the temporary fulfilment of our desires, we permanently mark the environment. While our lives are fleeting, what we leave on the earth remains, accumulating over time, and adding to the destruction of the planet.

Location: The Forum, M+

Choreography: Jessica Burrows
Music: Rude by Shygirl

Invisible Echo
 

Everything in this world leaves traces.

All costumes and props for this piece were made from discarded plastic bags.

The plastic bags used in each rehearsal were collected by the choreographer over 8-months, and turned into costumes by tailoring and splicing.

After this intermittent accumulation, all props and costumes were assembled into one, their combined weight finally reaching 25 kilograms.

This work thus addresses the process of constant accumulation, and summons the power of dripping water to cut gaps through stone. Cutting and reusing each piece of plastic represents our trust in human wisdom, believing in art creation and our admiration for vitality.

Location: Found Space, M+

Choreography: Feng Jingyi
Music: Nisi Dominus, RV 608: Cum dederit by Antonio Vivaldi

Landslide
 

A solo artist performs against a mountain of clothes discarded through the cycle of fast fashion, a devastating consequence of our greed and hubris. Performed to ‘Landslide’, written by Stevie Nicks and played by the American country group The Chicks, this dance compares our gratuitous waste to the devastation of a landslide.

Location: Grand Stair, M+

Choreography: Sarita Chan
Music: Landslide by The Chicks

Carbon Footprint
 

Without conscious awareness, we are harming our environment with small actions every day. Should we take responsibility for the consequences of our actions, or continue to ignore them?

Location: Lightwell Hall, M+

Choreography: Lin Chang-yuan Kyle
Music: Arise by Christophe Filippi

The Measures

Climate crisis has been discussed for years, yet for many, it is still more an abstract idea than imminent catastrophe. In this choreography Shropshire therefore chooses a purely abstract exploration of how environmental variations determine our experience of time and space. These “measures” can be understood as the effects of climate change on our personal (or collective) mobility, measures that frame or delineate new time space conditions. This is a poetic and virtuosic exploration of perseverance in the face of these progressive and irrevocable measures. Choreographed to music by the Brooklyn- and Copenhagen-based band Blue Foundation.

Choreography:  Stephen Shropshire
*Shropshire’s The Measures is supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL.
Music: It Begins – Pt. 1 & 2 by Blue Foundation feat. Sara Savery