Little Acts to Converse with Space.

Abstract

The projects I have worked on during my studies share similarities with one another in terms of elements or approach. This is why I decided to divide this thesis into three chapters, each one of them reflecting one of the major aspects that define my work. My projects are often anchored in the real, in what constitutes everyday life. They also often engage audience members in a more or less active way, and place space in the foreground, as a major component. The conception of the projects, and therefore of this thesis, came from the wish to communicate with an environment, listen to it and play with it. My aim was to create situations where the audience would be in dialogue with the surroundings. I wanted to create a theatrical machine where all components, including the audience, would work together to put the piece in action. From this starting point came the realization that audience participation and scenography in unconventional settings were deeply linked to one another, and that my interest for one of them could hardly be separated from the other. This thesis is a reflection on my way of working. It analyses what made me take this direction, and what has inspired me in this process. I am referring in it to some artists whose approaches or topics can be compared to mine, among which a few Lebanese ones that share with me an interest for space and places. My projects won’t be presented in a chronological order but in dialogue with the themes and concepts of each individual chapter, with theoretical writings and with other artists’ works.