Aurelien Bory on Espæce: Merging Body and Space at Romaeuropa Festival

Choreographer Aurelien Bory (born 1972 in Colmar) returns to the Romaeuropa Festival with Espæce, a performance inspired by writer Georges Perec. The title is a neologism combining Espèces d'espaces, reflecting Bory's practice of installing 'species' into 'space.' The show uses Perec's text as a dramaturgical key, with actors forming letters from the book on stage. Bory, known for blending circus, dance, and theater, employs spatial constraints to create unexpected interactions between bodies and space. Five performers from different disciplines contribute their biographies, echoing Perec's search for surrogate families. The work explores Perec's autobiographical traces, including his orphanhood and mother's death at Auschwitz. Bory first encountered Perec in 2005 and spent eleven years developing Espæce. The performance emphasizes gravity and verticality through acrobatic bodies. The interview is part of the Romaeuropa Festival program notes.