“(Repeating) The Dizziness” is an artistic research project (2017–ongoing) that interweaves theory and performative practice. The project takes its cue from methodological approaches of artistic research. During the research process so far, one main question has emerged: Can Taumel/dizziness be a choreographic element in dance and if yes, how can a dancer keep the fragile balance between control and letting go. I have worked with many different techniques to evoke dizziness-like states, experimenting with spinning, arm and foot movement and speed. The process is documented through video and photography. The flexible use and arrangement of this material is an important part of this project. It is not just documentation but rather artistic material of its own. The integration of (documentation) material, performative dance practice, and (scientific and philosophical) texts is one of my approaches according to artistic research. In my doctoral research (2019), I connect my practical performative research about Dizziness with a theoretical work about Doubt, mainly following the thoughts of Descartes and Flusser. I will explore how dizziness as well as doubt can, and are, important impulses for society.
Laura Brechmann (*1990, Germany) is a Performance Artist and theatrologist from Germany. After finishing her Bachelor degree in Theatre Studies, European Literature and Cultural Anthropology, she studied “Scenic Research” (M.A.) at Ruhr-University Bochum from 2014 to 2018 – a practical Master program between (artistic) practice and (scientific) theory. Since September 2018, she is working as a doctoral student at Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany at the Film-Theater-Media- and Cultural Anthropology Institute. In 2017, she started the artistic research project “A First Dizziness”. In this context, she deals with Dizziness and “Taumel” as a cultural, medical, and personal phenomenon through dance and performance art. She will continue working in dialogue and cooperation with different artists and scientists. First parts of the productions were shown in “Atelier Automatique” (Bochum), “Zeche 1 – Zentrum for Art” (Bochum), Folkwang Museum (Essen) and studio ALTA (Prague).