Exhibition Research: Sketches for the Future

Michele Rizzo

Rest, 2021

by Danica Pinteric

Making his debut in the medium of video, choreographer Michele Rizzo’s new work, Rest (2021), reflects on a number of themes many of us have encountered in the wake of the pandemic’s sudden global shutdown. Filmed at MACAO in Milan, the video follows two pairs of performers navigating an exchange of energy and vulnerability through carefully executed movement.

Opening with one performer from each pair lying on the floor, the video begins with their counterpart slowly making their way towards them. As Rizzo’s choreography unfolds, the second performer’s support gradually brings the other to their feet. The performance, documented here with Steadicam and Trinity, is a core component of a broader immersive installation commissioned by and presented at the 2020 Art Quadriennale Fuori in Rome.^[1] In this video, made especially for the Stedelijk, the gentle pace of Rizzo’s choreography is matched by long, sparsely-edited shots, in which the camera seems to float effortlessly across MACAO’s floors to capture the delicate moments between the performers as their interactions unfold.

Church Bells, Bird Calls & Beyond

The performance is accompanied by an original soundtrack by Berlin-based producer Lamin Fofana, created especially for Rest. The composition draws together influences from a range of sonic realms, resulting in a mesmerizing juxtaposition of references: ambient noises emulating church bells and birdcalls meet rhythmic electronic production, producing a soundscape that is in some moments reminiscent of sci-fi features, and others, of meditation music. Their coexistence evokes a sense of transcendence and deep relaxation, acknowledging the complexity that slowness can inhabit.

Inside an empty, patinated building, two performers are shown on the floor. The performer on the left wears a long-sleeve orange shirt, and lies on their back. The performer on the right wears a black tank top and sits in an upright position, cradling the other performer in their arms.

Michele Rizzo, Rest, 2021. Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. © Michele Rizzo

When the pandemic spread across the globe last spring, it ruptured the fast-paced rhythms of daily life under capitalism. For many, this newly imposed stasis marked a fresh opportunity to re-evaluate individual relationships to work, time, and rest. Recognizing the necessity of not only rest, but also of interdependence and community throughout the pandemic, Rizzo’s latest work offers a meditation on these enduring circumstances. The performers’ suspended engagements with each other illustrate the way our social interactions constricted under lockdown and quarantine orders worldwide. At the same time, they showcase the persistent human impulse to connect with and care for one another. The choreography displays considerable vulnerability, with performers leaning their body weight against their counterpart to prop themselves up. The immediacy of this physicality also recalls the intimacy and trust inherent to traditional healing and medicinal practices.

Inside an empty, patinated building, two performers are shown standing close to one another in profile, facing left of the frame. The performer on the left holds both arms out at a 90 degree angle, and the performer on the right is holding onto the first performer’s elbow. Both performers’ eyes are closed.

Michele Rizzo, Rest, 2021. Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. © Michele Rizzo

Amsterdammers might recognize Michele Rizzo from his 2018 dance performance HIGHER xtn,. which was acquired by the Stedelijk Museum after its inclusion in the 2018 Municipal Art Acquisitions showcase Freedom of Movement. Inspired by the feeling of transcendence and community one can experience dancing in a nightclub, the high-energy choreography was performed several times throughout the exhibition’s run, with more dancers added in each iteration. For Rizzo, Rest belongs to the same series of works as HIGHER xtn., and serves as a “second chapter” in what he envisions as a trilogy of performances exploring bodily autonomy, freedom, and spirituality through movement. The trilogy’s third instalment, Reaching, launched in early October 2021 at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin. While HIGHER xtn. celebrates the emancipatory and ecstatic potential of clubbing, Rest focuses more on the internal landscape and highlights the act of recuperation, which can be just as important.

Two performers stand almost at arm’s length from one another. The performer on the right, in an orange shirt, is facing the camera with eyes closed and a peaceful expression. On their left is the other performer, eyes open, attentively facing their partner. Their left arm is extended, hand touching the back of the performer on right.]

As a performance venue, MACAO is well aligned with Rizzo’s critical engagement with club culture and community. A storied building that was once a slaughterhouse, today MACAO operates as a multifaceted cultural hub; ironically, it has become a central artery of the city’s vibrant art scene. As an organization supporting diverse artistic practices and serving as a base for social and political activism, MACAO stands out as a beacon of hope and healing for many arts communities that have been damaged by the pandemic. As such, the space provides a perfect setting for Rizzo’s poetic exploration of interdependence and care in Rest to unfold.

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[1] The 2020 installation version of the work includes a series of life-sized sculptures of and a live performance of Rizzo’s choreography. This version has been acquired by the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.