Forty-five years ago, media philosopher Marshall McLuhan
coined the now-famous phrase “the medium is the message,” in reference
to the way a medium of communication influences how a message is
perceived. This concept of mediated perception is the central theme
behind .event.space, Portland choreographer Tahni Holt’s new
performance at the Ace Hotel’s Cleaners space downtown.
Employing 16 performers, animation, and a soundtrack by musician
(and frequent Holt collaborator) Thomas Thorson, .event.space. confronts the familiar themes of voyeurism and technology: Audience
members view the closed-off performance through the building’s windows
while the recorded soundtrack plays through speakers placed on the
sidewalk outside.
In the past, Holt’s approach to collaborative choreography has
yielded sublime results. In her piece the passing out heart
game, performers slam their bodies into floors, hyperventilate, and
fall down stairs. Initially jarring in its gracelessness, the
choreography grows beautiful over time.
While her methods of expression may vary, her approach to
choreography remains firmly conceptual: “I really want my ideas to land
and take place in physical form,” she says. “I believe the mapping of
ideas back and forth between two people is very much a form of
choreography in its own right.”
With .event.space., modes of technology are mocked through
movement: Performers “speed up” and “slow down” in imitation of the
rewind/fast-forward controls on a television remote. Holt hopes to
forge a new connection with the audience through the disconnection of
an unmediated performance.
“Disconnection allows you to notice a moment in a different way,”
she told me. “Even a simple tilting of the head alters perception. From
there, the possibilities are limitless.”