Venice, 15 July. (askanews) – Simone Forti, the renowned American artist and Italian-born choreographer, is in a certain sense the patron deity of the 2023 Dance Biennale, which has awarded her the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and an important retrospective exhibition at the Arsenale. The collaboration with MOCA in Los Angeles and curated by Rebecca Lowry and Alex Sloane underscored Forti’s seminal role in defining the contemporary language of dance and its enduring relevance. And Roberto Scicutto, president of the Venice Biennale, also attended the opening of the exhibition. “This idea, the choice of Simon Forti – he told AskNews – is the culmination of this research which is not only choreographic, it is pure art in general”.
For the occasion, some of Forti’s historical works were displayed live at the exhibition sites and the artists themselves came from the United States and, in a very emotional atmosphere, wanted to speak to the public. “It’s extraordinary to see my work still on stage – he said – what was useful was the out-of-body experience, what it feels like when walking, doing normal movements, hanging from a rope, when you feel you’re engaged space with your body”.
Spread across two different venues, the exhibition showcases six decades of Simone Forti’s work, beginning with the seminal “Dance Constructions”, which forever changed the relationship between contemporary dance and visual art, and then Also reaches out to a whole in-depth lesson on subversion. His ability to use different media with extraordinary relevance to power dynamics as well. And Wayne McGregor, director of the Dance Biennale, focused precisely on the relationship between different generations of artists. “There is extraordinary creativity in the world – they told us – but resources are always scarce. We must commit ourselves to supporting young artists and allowing their voices to be heard like historical artists. It is important to have a diversity of voices In the world of dance, to continue to innovate”.
In the wake of a street Simone Forti, together with other leading figures such as Trisha Brown or Yvonne Rainer, but in a certain sense also bearing the name of Joan Jonas, helped to create it and keep it going forever.