Body-Archive as a Dialectical Image

In my research, I propose the body-archive as a dialectical image, an “idea-language” that encompasses the dialectical process of emergence and disappearance of images within theatrical gestures and dance movements. At its core lies the conceptualisation of the body as an inheritance shaped by cultural memory. This idea-language embraces the coexistence of opposites, extreme ideas, and excesses drawn from the histories of dance, art, and culture. By using the body-archive as an “idea-language,” the past manifests itself as a dialectical upheaval—a movement directed towards an awakened consciousness. This unfolding of consciousness serves as an exemplary lens to engage with the historical experience, revealing a political dimension in research as a presence of mind. This theoretical framework is illustrated by two montages I present as case studies: Darkland and Nom donné par l’auteur, which explores themes of modern and conceptual dance through my own work and Jérôme Bel’s inaugural piece; and “The Nymph and the Punk”, two contemporary interpretations of Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A (1966). From these analyses, I develop reflections on the body-archive and its relationship with the processes of choreographic re-enactment.