Abel Enklaar
RESIDENCY
August 2023
LOCATION
Studio I + II + The Annex
THE PROJECT
"The Making of Me" is a raw ode to creativity and experimentation that explores complex questions of identity through the journey of a trans person as they learn to understand and find their place in the world. The performance is built around movement, with a group of performers (all of whom are queer or trans) in constant motion, sometimes in solo or duet, other times in group choreography. The performers use light and video technology to capture and manipulate each other's images, creating hypnotic video layers that often repeat or distort the image to give a small action on the floor great power. The play is structured as a montage or frame story, questioning the boundaries of the body through different tableaus. The thread running through the performance are my own biographical elements, including their interaction with their maker, who is also a trans person who created me created through IVF, and this relationship serves as a mirror for the creator to consider questions of authorship, identity, technology and what is natural. The performance creates an intimate feeling and the body is seen as material to play with, equal to clay or the space it moves in, making the body a co-actor in the theatrical universe. The use of technology such as live video and projection allows for the construction of theatrical reality and the meaning of the body and associated identity to constantly be open to reconstruction."
ABOUT
Abel Enklaar is an interdisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of technology, identity, and the environment through performances and installations. Their work delves into the impact of technology on our understanding of self and the world, often using 3D scanning, motion capture, virtual and augmented reality and manipulating live video to create immersive experiences. A central theme in their work is the idea of being a cyborg, created through ICSI IVF and the impact it has on their identity. They also explore themes of queerness, fluidity, and post-anthropocentric perspectives. Their work is often informed by contemporary feminist and queer theory and movement practices.
Abel has presented their work in festivals and venues worldwide such as Ars Electronica, Tate Britain, Athens Digital Arts Festival, and the Asia Culture Center Gwangju. In 2017, they founded Studio Enklaar, a creative studio that aims to expose the politics underlying technical implementation and to challenge our techno-political literacy through performances, publications and installations.