Dance: Choreographer William Forsythe gives his archive to Karlsruhe

dance
Choreographer William Forsythe gives his archive to Karlsruhe

Choreographer William Forsythe (r) talks about his work at a press event in the Karlsruhe Center for Art and Media (ZKM) alongside art historian Margit Rosen (M) and ZKM Director Peter Weibel (l). photo

© Christoph Schmidt/dpa

The well-known media art center in Karlsruhe has a treasure richer. The exceptional American artist William Forsythe bequeathed his archive to the ZKM – a “living thing”, as he puts it.

Choreographer William Forsythe handed over his archive to the Karlsruhe Media Art Center ZKM. The digital treasure, which the award-winning exceptional US artist presented to ZKM boss Peter Weibel on Friday, includes 4000 video tapes and data carriers as well as numerous notes, correspondence and photos.

The archive should be accessible to the public. It gives you an insight into all creative periods – from the beginnings at the Stuttgart Ballet to the era at the Frankfurt Ballet (1984-2004) and the Forsythe Company (2005-2015) to the present.

“To me, an archive is a living thing,” said Forsythe at the handover. He sees his tapes and documents in good hands in Karlsruhe because he wants to develop new projects with the renowned media art center. ZKM boss Weibel spoke of an archive of extraordinary relevance for the art of the 21st century. “We are overjoyed.”

Forsythe is one of the most renowned and creative choreographers in contemporary ballet. The 73-year-old has been causing a stir for over 50 years with his experimental choreographies and visionary concepts. As a dancer and choreographer, he practically dismantled modern ballet into its individual parts and reassembled them.

The transfer of the archive follows on from joint artistic collaborations. In 1999 he developed the CD-ROM “William Forsythe: Improvisation Technologies. A Tool for the Analytical Dance Eye” with the ZKM. It is regarded as pioneering in the exploration and transmission of choreographic concepts through digital media.

dpa

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