Stemming from my interest in issues of racial and political identity, in particular the experiences of the black body and its implications, I wanted to delve deeper into my relationship with my own black body in contemporary Western society. This led me to reflect on the representation, misrepresentation and lack of representation of black bodies. I was particularly interested in the experience of the black diaspora, how it inhabits spaces where its existence is not clearly defined, and how memory becomes crucial to securing its identity.  Exploring these themes through my own experience as an artist and member of the diaspora, I wanted to examine notions of visibility and ‘blackness’ in Western culture, as well as the political dimension inherent in the artistic expression of people of colour.  In addition, I wanted to explore the biased narratives that have been imposed on black bodies over the centuries, and to highlight the challenges of overturning them. These racialised narratives tend to make black bodies vulnerable to cultural imperialism, violence, exploitation, marginalisation and powerlessness.

In this context, how can we confront these de-humanising narratives offered by a dominant culture and, in so doing, transform our own sense of self and community? My aim is to create a work that celebrates the autonomy of black bodies and demonstrates that these harmful narratives can be challenged and transformed. One way of doing this would be to examine how a black body can occupy spaces that alienate it or seek to define it in oppressive ways, while navigating the historical projections and racial symbols that surround it.  The aim is also to highlight its civility, power, grace, sensuality, tenderness, intelligence, love and joy. This project explores how this black body, with its complex realities, can regain its humanity after being appropriated, inverted and plasticised over the last few centuries.

Born in 1993, Mufutau Yusuf is Irish and was born in Nigeria. He divides his professional life as a choreographer, dancer and teacher between Ireland and Brussels. A 2016 graduate of the Salzburg Experimental Dance Academy (Austria), he has worked with Wim Vandekeybus (Ultima vez), LizRoche (Liz Roche Company), John Scott (Irish Modern Dance Theatre) Emma Martin (United Fall) and Catherine Young (Catherine Young Dance), among others. 

 He began his career as a choreographer with his first piece, Owe, a solo created in 2022 in New York and presented at several festivals in Ireland. This solo was made possible by a grant he received from the Irish government in 2020. His passion for improvisation and sharing has led him to teach at various venues, festivals and institutions such as the Tipperary International Dance Festival, the University of Limerick (Ireland) and the American University in Washington (USA). Yusuf Mufutau is also co-curator of ‘TW1’ (Train With One), a workshop platform that aims to reduce the boundaries between the Irish contemporary dance scene and that of continental Europe.

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr