"Können wir in der Kunst für die Krisen üben?"
Belgian theater director Miet Warlop is presenting her work "It never SSST" at the Belgian Pavilion during the Venice Biennale. The installation combines performance, sculpture, a radio show, and objects, featuring six performers, musicians, dancers, and a sculptor who periodically calls "Freeze" to capture movements in plaster reliefs. Warlop, known for her physically exhausting ritualistic performances like "One Song," discusses the piece's themes of ceaseless activity and the body as a resource, as well as the challenge of engaging visitors who often rush through the pavilion.
This article matters because it highlights the growing intersection of theater and visual art at major international exhibitions like the Venice Biennale, where performance art increasingly occupies central pavilion spaces traditionally reserved for static works. Warlop's inclusion also underscores Belgium's strong tradition in performing arts and the evolving role of the artist's body in contemporary art as a medium for exploring endurance, ritual, and crisis. The piece raises questions about how audiences engage with durational performance in a fast-paced art fair context.