Dimitris Chimonas – Guest Artist in Partnership with Dance House Lemesos
After several successful co-operations between the Reinbeckhallen and performing artists, the halls will welcome Dimiris Chimonas, a member of Moving the New Artistic Development Program at the Dance House Lemesos.
Dimitris Chimonas’ work understands artistic performances as productions experienced in the theatre. In his work, he explores theatre conventions and theatrical means and formats through their use and misuse. As his host, the Reinbeckhallen will offer the performance artist, an HWP scholarship holder of the Lebanese Association for Fine Arts “Ashkal Alwan” in Beirut, the opportunity to research, rehearse, and exchange ideas with members of the local arts scene for a week. During this period, Chimonas will focus on the content and development of his current production The Only Way Out Is Through.
About this work, Chimonas writes: “Going to the theatre requires that we make an unspoken agreement with ourselves: to dispel any doubts. This ‘clearing up of doubts’, however, requires both the actors and the audience to be willing to temporarily put their own critical skills on hold and to sacrifice logic for the enjoyment of the theatrical experience. By pausing in our seats in the auditorium, we consent to experience life through a rehearsed present moment. We travel through space and time while playing the role of the audience. This unspoken agreement teaches us how to ‘play’ our role.”
At the end of his stay, Dimitris Chimonas will perform in an unconventional setting.
Dimitris Chimonas was born in Cyprus in 1993. He has presented his work in several theatres and exhibition spaces in Cyprus, London, and New York. His work has also been featured on the website of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at The Benaki Museum (Athens, 2016), the Young Artists Biennale from Europe and the Mediterranean (Tirana, 2017), the Biennale Architettura (Venice, 2018), the Window Laboratoire (Paris, 2018), and the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (2019).