STATEMENT
My practice moves in between: between mediums, fields, contexts, and countries.
Amid this in-betweenness, I embody the role of the translator, who observes and interprets, a figure in constant motion. In this fluidity, translation serves as both a guiding principle and a method, acting as a compass in my practice; it allows me to navigate these diverse landscapes and discourses, and to facilitate dialogue between them.
My multidisciplinary approach is informed and influenced by my training as a contemporary visual artist and my background as a professional ballet dancer. My work, often presented in galleries and non-traditional performance spaces, brings together elements of performance, writing, and temporality to explore the choreographic potential of words. Although each work originates from a performative action, it can appear in different forms, including text, photography, live performances, and sculptural installations.
My recent artistic research has focused on the influence of language on movement, both on the scale of the individual and on the macro-scale of societal choreographic protocols.
Using bodily exercises borrowed from somatic practices and sports training, as well as tools of enumeration, catalog, and inventory, I study everyday motions and movement patterns. Repetition, a crucial tactic in my process, is used to find out which culturally accepted meanings are projected on them. In my work, these meanings are questioned and their potential absurdity is revealed.
Similarly, in my sculptural work, I approach my materials through the body. By repeatedly shaping and moving with the chosen material or object, I explore their performative qualities, degree of resistance and weight, and what they enable in the body of the performer.
Writing is essential in my artistic practice. I use free association and poetic language to create textual works that are spoken during live performances or recorded as visual poetry on paper. By prioritizing rhythm, sound, and syntax, I aim to trigger a kinesthetic reaction in the reader/listener. I find this way of working to bring forth curiosity, playfulness, and subtle humor, all extremely important traits of my work.
Over the years, collaboration has become a proliferation methodology of my practice. I have developed recurring artistic collaborations with Bianca Hisse and Keithy Kuuspu, with whom I work as a choreographer, performer, and dance dramaturg.
Between 2024 and 2026, my work is supported by Kone Foundation.
Please feel free to contact me at laura.cemin@gmail.com
Download full CV here.