Assembly (Kaaistudio's) - Thing 000783

Agency is working on a list of 'things'; it is unclear whether they belong in the category of 'nature' or 'culture'. The material generally consists of legal disputes over intellectual property. At the Kaaistudio’s, Agency selects a number of ‘things’ based on the question ‘how can bodies be a part of artistic practice?’. At first glance this may seem a strange question, but ‘expressions based on physical movements’ – dance and choreography, say – have only been protected by copyright since the second half of the 20th century. What impact has this had on dance practice?
  
Agency will be presenting two 'things' that involve the work of the American choreographers George Balanchine and Martha Graham. Several witnesses and guests will 'answer' the 'things'.

We 10/10: Thing 000783 (The Nutcracker: A Story & A Ballet)
Consists of a dispute between Barbara Hogan, Balanchine’s heir, and Macmillan, the publisher of the book The Nutcracker: A Story & A Ballet. Hogan claimed that the pictures in the book were derivatives from the choreography. The judge had to decide whether a series of photographs can copy a choreography. During this gathering a series of photographs from the book will be shown.

photos: Steven Caras & Costas
choreography: George Ballachine, 1954
respondents:
Jean-Pierre Stoop (photographer), Didier Deneuter (lawyer), Steven Humblet (historian of photography),
Alexander Baervoets (choreographer and dancer), Courtney
Richardson (ballet dancer), Myriam Van Imschoot (writer and
performer), Alexis Ewbank (lawyer).

Th 11/10: Thing 000955 (Martha Graham’s Choreographies)
This is a complex legal case that followed the death of Martha Graham. In her will Graham named Ronald Protas as the owner of her choreographies. Protas forbade the Martha Graham Centre of Contemporary Dance (the company and the school that Graham had founded) to perform the 71 dance pieces by Graham. After a long legal battle in 2004, the judge tried to decide who could do what with the dances from Graham's repertoire. During the gathering, different versions of the exemplary dance piece Lamentation will be performed again. Tickets >>

Lamentation (version 1): Video: unknown, 1943, Choreography: Martha Graham, 1930
Lamentation (version 2): Dance: Valériane Michelini, Staging: Christophe Jeannot, Choreography: Martha Graham Center, 1974
Lamentation (version 3): Dance and staging: Barbara Manzetti, Choreography: Martha Graham, 1930

Respondents:
Fabian Barba (dancer and choreographer), Thomas Poels (lawyer),
Sara Jansen (dance and theatre researcher), Christophe Jeannot (dancer,
choreographer Martha Graham Center), Barbara Manzetti (dancer), Natalie
Gordon (Laban dance notation and teacher at Artesis Hogeschool
Antwerpen)

• Kobe Matthys founded Agency in 1992. For Performatik 2009, Agency presented a ‘dispute’ in the context of the Un-Scene exhibition. In 2011 Agency performed Speech Matters at the Venice Biennale.

The complete collection of Agency’s 'things' can be seen between 6 and 8 pm under the supervision of 'keeper' Elisabeth Hirner. Booking required.