Rooftop Routine
Material: DVD
The video Rooftop Routine is based on a performance that Jankowski organized for the 2007 edition of Performa, New York. Jankowski found inspiration in his Chinese neighbour, Ms. Suat Ling Chua, who he had secretly observed from his living room while she was hula-hooping on the opposite rooftop. In the video, accompanied by a catchy Chinese pop song that Suat Ling would listen to on her Walkman during the routine, she explains the different hula-hoop poses and movements. At the same time, more than two dozen dancers on surrounding Chinatown rooftops follow her instructions. The poetic imagery of the performers moving to the rhythm of the music against the urban backdrop could originate from an aerobics video, but also draws on the art happenings of 1970s New York. The work reflects on the legacy of such performative, artistic acts in a later age of mediatization and entertainment. When the work is installed, hula hoops lie on the floor in front of the video projection, inviting the viewers to join in.
About the artist
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40 artists from 18 different countries present 60 artworks at 16 indoor and outdoor locations in Kortrijk.
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