Dark Waters is a research on the sensorial, experiential and psychological dimensions of immersion in water. It focuses on the fears, beliefs and spiritual associations that have nurtured our western relationship to water over centuries. Drawing on historical and embodied knowledge, it creates a bridge towards today’s general concept of immersion that makes us elaborate a holistic and critical approach towards the immersive phenomenon today (encountered in ecology, technology, experience economy, practices, artworks…). With this research we want to understand its historical roots and question its prominence in our social-cultural environment, as much as address the ethical questions that it poses. The specificity of our approach lies within the link we establish between man-made artificial forms of immersion and their ecological origin: immersion of the body in water. We wonder in what forms can we provide an immersive experience to a public in a performance, while maintaining critical distance? And can we create a holistic understanding of how individuals and communities seek meaning, connection, and escape via immersive experiences today?
The development phase of the project takes inspiration from various existing forms of immersion that will be intuitively and collaboratively reworked into new immersive materials in 4 disciplines: Literature, Web Design, Choreography, Scenography. At the end of the development phase, the 4 disciplines will come together to form a prototype of a performance that will be presented to the public in June 2025. The overall process will be monitored by a panel of artists and academics who will serve as a feedback group.
Dark Waters is accompanied by a website https://digideck.cc/ created by Laurent.
Timeline:
- Research and development in Oct. 2024 – Jul 2025. With the support of C-takt, De Singel & espace delombre. Funded by the Flanders State of the Arts
- Creation 2026
- Première tbc
