Love, between flashmob and dance performance

Our bodies are often ruled by forms of control. Usually, we see them as instruments we can set up and adjust, in order to put them to work. But a body can also be affective, according to Romanian choreographer Florin Flueras. In Love, he looks at the many affects that love brings about – from overwhelming feelings to ecstasy and hypersensitivity. Flueras believes that love can dissolve the controlled state by letting feelings ‘infect’ the soul.

In his performances, he prefers to see art and the outside world grate against each other. His recent work explores how choreography within a specific context can lead to different ways of thinking, seeing or feeling. The context in Love is equally particular: the performance is set in exhibition areas, metro stations, supermarkets, etc. Those are places where other activities are already happening, and where dance adds an extra layer. There are two audiences: one is aware of the performance while the other is completely oblivious, resulting in a meeting between different perceptions, situations and performers. How do affective bodies influence intensely functional spaces? Can you really infect them with love?