Life as a journey of wonder

In the search for philosophical and choreographic insights around the marvellous, Freire came across Ailton Krenak, one of the most important political voices in contemporary Brazil. His publication Life Is Not Useful is the starting point of this dance reading (a dance performing a text or idea).

Krenak argues that “life is an experience of wonderment”. This phrase kept haunting Freire’s mind and became his mantra. Freire recites Krenak’s texts to better understand them, while his body moves to the same rhythm. He invites you to listen and reflect on them together.

Who is Ailton Krenak?

Brazilian thinker and activist Ailton Krenak is an indigenous leader and currently an honorary professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. He has been campaigning for years for the environment and for the rights of Brazil’s indigenous people. He received the Prince Claus Impact Award for these efforts.

According to Krenak, Western thinking contains several harmful elements that need to disappear; moreover, it needs to be expanded to include other perspectives. He himself stems from the tradition of the Krenak who have lived on the banks of the Rio Doce river for generations – even though the government has restricted their territory to a reserve of four thousand hectares. In his book Ideas to postpone the end of the world, Krenak writes about the ecological crisis from the perspective of this nearly extinct people.

“In Europe, for example, Descartes, Kant and Sartre stand out as philosophers. With us, everyone is a thinker; the ability to think is a collective asset. Thinking is an interaction between everything there is: the river, fish, trees, people; between all visible, but also invisible creatures.”