Movements

I am re-writing the descriptions of my movements since I started performing in 1979.
The collection of about 150 descriptions will be published as a book: Movements.
I am more and more convinced about the idea that a textual description is the most appropriate way of documenting a performative, time/space related work, rather than trying to recall it with images, video's and sound samples.
Although sound is an important medium in my work, it is in very few pieces that the sound itself is of high conceptual or aesthetic importance.
And although there are great pictures of my performances, taken by great photographers, the same could be said about images.
A description recalls the piece in the mind of the reader, who will be able to imagine the practical performance of the piece which is described and give it poetic or aesthetic value, or not.

In describing I will concentrate on those movements, and movement-installations, at which I have been physically connected: most of the descriptions start with 'I stand.....'or 'I sit...' in line with my central position in most of the works.
In contradiction with earlier descriptions, no information will be given that is not essentially important for experience of the concept of the piece, like title, location, date, curator, event, etc.
Also I will leave out many details and elements that were connected to the reality of the performance, clothing, tools, technical equipment, audience, etc. details that in a description would blur the view on the piece itself.
The descriptions situate the works at certain distance from the performance in reality, they become an idealized form of the work: the book might end up as a collection of fairy tales about physical and mental meetings with time and space in movement and sound.

The writing takes me deeply back into the works, even when dated 40 years back: I remember all the details and moments which allows me to have a fresh look at the essentials of my work.
I experience the writing as carefully re-constructing the works in words and sentences.
There will be a lot of repetition in the texts due to the fact that in many pieces the same elements and movements come forward: the descriptions might take on the character of mantra.