Reconstruction(s): choreographic interventions on the structure of the surface — duration, erosion
8–11 July 2025
Croatian Natural History Museum
This two-hour performance by five female dance artists explores themes of environment, surfaces, and spatial time. Dance theorist and sociologist Randy Martin describes dance as a point of intensity; it is not only a specific practice of movement and performance, but also an analytical framework. This work extends that framework into the field of duration and surfaces, exploring the environmental nature of dance processes as spatial practice and material substance.
Within the space of the Croatian Natural History Museum, the choreographic intervention mobilises meanings of form and time. Narratives of natural processes become landscapes of time and materiality, while dance continues the dynamics of natural and historical transformations. In this way, a resonance is created between choreography and forms of nature, opening a space for reflection on movement as a form of memory, archiving, and change.
Philosopher Branka Arsić, in her text On the Commonness of Life, reflects on the ontological and epistemological distinctions between nature, matter, and body, pointing to the interdependence and environmental embeddedness of beings. Advocating a bioecology of vitalism as a basis for ecological ethics, Arsić emphasises the shared existence of material elements of nature. Choreographically engaging with these ideas, Reconstruction(s) shifts the dance gesture toward the vital nature of form and time.
Premiere performances:
8, 9, 10, and 11 July 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
12 July 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours without intermission
Location: Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb
Admission: free
Entry to the permanent exhibition is charged according to regular prices.
Concept and choreography: Marjana Krajač
Performance: Ana Jelušić, Dora Pocedić, Eleonora Vrdoljak, Marina Brajdić, Jana Božić
Photography and documentation: Tjaša Kalkan, Inia Herenčić
Video: Matija Kralj-Štefanić
Graphic design: Josipa Tadić
Production: Sodaberg choreographic laboratory
The project is realised in collaboration with the Croatian Natural History Museum and the Zagreb Dance Centre, and funded by the City Office for Culture and Civil Society of the City of Zagreb and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.