I Taste the Future

Adam Linder

To Gear a Joan (2017) marks a shift for choreographer Adam Linder, whose performance for LIAF was what he termed a “wearable libret­to,” conceived especially for Norwegian vocalist Stine Janvin Motland. In the work, a nomadic figure from a dystopian future walks through Trevarefabrikken and onto the streets of Henningsvær in a custom suit of armour, a second protective skin that can modulate into a sculptural seat, a music stand and a sound amplifier. The performer embodies the lyrics of a poetic rallying cry, resonating how the histories of “reason” have allowed for the plundering of natural resources. Much like how Linder’s series of Choreographic Services are a distinct formulation of an economy for dance, the wearable libretto in To Gear a Joan extends choreographic thinking into structural costuming, in which adornment enhances a body’s presence.

Adam Linder, To Gear a Joan, 2017. Carbon fiber costume, audio components. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik/LIAF
Adam Linder, To Gear a Joan, 2017. Carbon fiber costume, audio components, vocal performance. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik/LIAF