Anima Urbana – Live & On Screen

DanceOnScreen

Detailed description of Dance on Screen by Lila Moore

Anima Urbana - Performed Photography by Lila Moore

Anima Urbana – The City Spirit is the title of a series of experimental multimedia performances, which depict the interaction between a young woman and the cityscape through a series of ritualistic performances. Each location in the city becomes a station for a unique ritual which presents a new form of interaction with a familiar environment. The performance suggests that the city inhabits an Anima with a curious metaphysical purpose, which is in sharp contrast to the city's material foundation and practical function.

The original performances were based on the projection of performed-photographs (performed-photography is an art form discussed in the thesis) and images of the cityscape in interaction with a live performance of ritualistic actions. The formal tension between the projected performance and the live action eventually led to a formal transition into film/video and to a collaboration with a filmmaker. So, the live performances were transformed into film/video. 

I discuss the formal tension between live and projected images from various perspectives in the thesis. I still find the interaction,  friction and harmony between projection and live action a fascinating field of creative exploration. The thesis conveys that live performance and screen-based performance are entirely different art forms despite their shared performative principle. 

This work by Dr Lila Moore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.