SENSORIANAS, arises from an invitation by Victor Córdon Studios to Clara Andermatt to create and serve as the artistic director of a performance based on Persian culture. This production will be developed through research, historical and artistic analysis, and a mapping of the Iranian community’s situation in Portugal.
The creation is part of the OUTROS MUNDOS program, developed by Victor Córdon Studios. OUTROS MUNDOS is an initiative dedicated to migrant communities residing in Portugal, aiming to create public sharing and interaction platforms through the study of their cultures.
The program cyclically selects a target country and seeks to highlight its culture through the perspective of a choreographer in the field of dance.
For the first edition, Iran was chosen, and the invitation to create was extended to choreographer Clara Andermatt.
SYNOPSIS
I was invited by Victor Córdon Studios to explore Iran and its culture through the creation of a piece to be presented within the framework of the OUTROS MUNDOS program.
I approached the invitation as a challenge to connect with Persian culture, allowing me to explore and celebrate its richness. I wish for the piece to combine charm and contemplation based on an artistic experience anchored in the contributions of the Iranian diaspora rooted in our country. I aim to pave the thematic path of the piece by compiling individual visions carrying references, suggestions, and avenues for study.
I intend to explore different styles of traditional Iranian dance, reinterpreted by myself and the collaborators of this creation in light of contemporary dance. The focus is on the female universe, with Iranian poetry and music, among other elements, serving as integrative and inspiring components.
I do not seek to encompass the vastness of Persian culture, nor do I have the pretension to represent it—an impossible and undesirable task for someone approaching a vast and complex reality for the first time. I propose a subjective, animated vision fueled by the desire to promote encounters and build cultural bridges. A curious and interested gaze toward a reality very different from our own. A space for dialogue and reflection on aspects of everyday life, freedom, and the cultural diversity that we must defend and celebrate in the current global context.
― Clara Andermatt