Ineffable Shape: The Shape of Language

How can we translate between vastly different lifeforms? This experimental collaboration between choreographer and imprographer Miri Lee and filmmaker Emilia Tapprest explores the ineffable in language and improvisation, both on-screen and on-stage. The film’s sound design and music is composed by Andreas Tegnander.

This two-part event combines the premiere of the film Ineffable Shape with live improvisational performances, creating an interdisciplinary journey that delves into the intuitive, often indescribable connections between life forms and the boundaries of language.

Datum

19 november

Aanvang

19:00

Prijs

€€10,- pay as you like (€5-€20) doors 18.30

Join us for an evening that transcends traditional forms of communication, where movement and sound become universal languages, bridging the gap between beings. Experience the intersection of art and empathy, and discover the ineffable shapes that connect us all.

Website: www.mirilee.nl

Studio: https://nvisible.studio/

Schedule

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Part One (Improvisational Performance): 7:00 PM

Part Two (Film Screening & Live Performance): 8:00 PM

Tickets

Tickets are available for a donation of €5 to €20, allowing visitors to choose the amount that best suits their budget.

Our project is supported by a grant from the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst.

Part One

Part One features an open improvisational music and dance performance, where artists communicate through spontaneous movement and sound. It offers a glimpse into the raw energy of unstructured, instinctual expression, capturing the magic of being present with one another beyond language.

Musicians: Camille Verhaak (clarinet), Miriam den Boer (violin), Lucija Gregov (cello), and George Hadow (drums)

Dancers: Edward Lloyd and Miri Lee

Part Two

Part Two presents the premiere of Ineffable Shape, accompanied by a live associative performance that recreates moments from the film in real time. Set in a speculative present, Ineffable Shape follows two candidates trained by an “imprographer” to interpret the rhythms, patterns, and nuances of a nearby field sparrow. Guided by the imprographer, they attune to another lifeform through tactile interfaces on their skin. What begins as an exercise in empathy provokes unexpected realizations about the “shape” of language.

Drawing from bioacoustics research and machine learning, Ineffable Shape explores the understanding that can emerge from intuition, improvisation, and nonverbal intelligence. The film invites us to rethink language and communication beyond the human realm, suggesting that similar “shapes” may recur in the communication of animals. The project ‘Ineffable Shape’ is supported by the AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts).

Film by: Emilia Tapprest and Miri Lee

Composition: Andreas Tegnander

Performance

Poem: Frances Weilling

Musicians: Kate Moore (vielle) and Stefanie Janssen (voice)

Dancers: Edward Lloyd and Miri Lee