WA’s flagship contemporary dance company Co3 will be in residence at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) this week as part of a two-year project entitled “Reason for Being”. The residency sees artistic director Raewyn Hill and the dancers of Co3 explore spaces in the gallery for one week a month. The project commenced in February 2016.
Although Hill is currently in Japan undertaking an AsiaLink Residency at Tokyo WonderSite, she will be streaming in for July chapter of “Reason for Being”. Mary Reid Kelley’s short film-based work Priapus Agonistes (2013) is currently showing in AGWA’s Screen Space and Hill will be working in response to the work. Investigating the relationship between characterisation and physicality, the Co3 artists (Mitch Harvey with Richard Longbottom), who will be based in the Screen Space at the Art Gallery of WA, will offer personal memories in response to questions asked by Hill.
Thematically, Hill responds to metaphors from Kelley’s work, and will focus on unpacking the duality of the Minotaur and overlay the movement with feelings of battle expressed by Kelley through a volleyball game. Taking some of the references in Kelley's work, Hill will explore the tension in ideas of 're-enactment' and character masking with real-life physical movement creation. “Reason for Being” will take place 6-9 July. For more information head to the Co3 website.