Dimitris Kourtakis' 'Failing to Levitate in My Studio' at VIE Festival

At the VIE Festival in Modena, Dimitris Kourtakis presented 'Failing to levitate in my studio', a performance that densely references art history and theory. The piece, staged at Teatro Storchi, features a monolithic dwelling structure that evokes Gordon Matta-Clark's architectural cuts, Bruce Nauman's spatial measurements, Vito Acconci's body-based provocations, Terry Fox's performances, Rachel Whiteread's negative spaces, and Richard Long's stone sculptures. Kourtakis, confined within the structure, struggles with occlusion and escape, while translated text on screens creates a Beckettian, aphasic delirium. Technical microphone mishaps add to the labyrinthine atmosphere. The work engages with concepts of surveillance, the gaze, and the relationship between inside and outside, referencing Camus' Sisyphus, Buñuel's Viridiana, and Beckett's Happy Days. A black-and-white projection on the wall recalls Cartier-Bresson's photographic compositions. The performance ran during the VIE Festival, a contemporary theater and performance festival in Modena.