In Past Pupils and Smiles was performed on November 24, 2019, as the finale to the 58th Biennale di Venezia, in the Teatro alle Tese 2, Arsenale.
Solange pursues an engagement with Black speculative thought by virtue of world-making. ”In Past Pupils & Smiles” meditates on the interrelations between aesthetics of the Self, the body and constructions of spatiality. We construct ourselves in relation to the spaces we imagine. It is by creating immersive landscapes that the artist expounds on Black womanhood. By reaching traditions of postmodern dance, minimalism, architecture and queer/feminist narratives; an interconnection with unrestrained presence and expression is conceived.
The production was commissioned by Arts Council of England as part of Meetings on Art, the festival’s official public program, co-produced by the Delfina Foundation at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
performance by Solange Knowles
music composed, written &arranged by Solange Knowles
choreography by Gerard & Kelly and Solange Knowles, based on Bridge-s performance
creative direction Solange Knowles
associate stage- and creative-director Carlos Soto
lighting designer John Torres
costume design Kyle Luu, Solange Knowles
creative producer Imogene Strauss
photographs by James Mollison