Hevi Metle (2019)

From ah d’arc and in fin knit spayse reetches a bunch of fleshi and mellting dijitts 2 poll ish a shy knee, meh tallic oh bjeckt weeth purr feckt sylver balls. Dare r blakk nayles and abs trackt brewses hid den a mongst de mew tated flesh

Hevi Metle is an epic installation saga of six hours, six minutes and six seconds, focusing on a feminist approach to alchemy. It explores transformation, mysticism, resistance and retaliation through matter and form, working from solidity to fluidity. The piece includes an integrated touch tour and experimental visual description performed live by Juliana Capes.

Bodies shift slowly, metal sculptural elements change and accumulate in the space alongside encryption and dissolution of language through riddles, slowed down sung text and repetitive tritone chords from an electric guitar.

“In Hevi Metle I am working collaboratively with choreographer and artist Angela Goh from Australia and Glasgow-based artist Michelle Hannah to develop ideas around body, material (metal specifically) and language. We are also working with visual describer Juliana Capes to develop integrated access functions such as description and a touch tour of the materials and the performers. Here we are thinking about choreographed touch, and how choreography can exist as text and sound. It’s a sensorial approach. We are working with physical practices of becoming 2D, or trying to materialise invisible imagery through mime.”

Credits
Choreography/Concept/Design: Louise Ahl
Co-created and performed by: Angela Goh, Michelle Hannah, Louise Ahl with touring performer Leah Landau
Visual describer: Juliana Capes
Producer: Holly Knox Yeoman

Photography: Janina Sabaliauskaite © BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead and Sarah Smart and Brogan Tait at Tramway, Glasgow.

Hevi Metle is a Tramway co-production with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Further support from Dance4, The Work Room, Siobhan Davies Dance and National Theatre of Scotland. Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. This project is informed by a period of choreographic research residencies with Critical Path at Tasdance and the Drill Hall in Australia (funded by Creative Scotland and Australia Council for the Arts).

Performances

12th February 2020 at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead

12th October 2019 at Tramway as part of Dance International Glasgow

Press

Article about Hevi Metle in MAP Magazine

Article about Hevi Metle on Lucy Writers Platform

Interview about Hevi Metle in Tempohouse

Video documentation available upon request.