Footfall, 2017

“A group of naked people smeared with soil step around inside a circular mud-covered area covered in mud for two hours. Time and time again the performers get in one another’s way, they walk on the spot, you hear how the mud presses between their toes. Not a word is spoken. Through the silence they communicate with one another with looks and gestures. The trampled mud provides the unorchestrated soundtrack to the piece. This arrhythmic ‘mud music’ spits out an entirely senseless set of tones that would be impossible to link together in a harmony.” - Stefan Wagner - read more

Untitled Le Manoir de la Ville de Martigny , C-type print, 2017, photograph after Footfall performance.

“As the performers moved to negotiate each others’ movements, the earth’s shape changed and spread across the floor. It was no longer circular, and the performers moved with the earth. Their feet moved the earth, and they were moved by it. Slowly the collective treading created shifting ground. The dance undid the distinction between cause and effect.” - Jo Melvin - read more

“Borders shift through war and cause the movement of people. Political and economic migration is a constant factor in world histories and is a pressing concern today. Footfall is typical of the way in which JocJonJosch’s work raises subtle but pressing political issues.” - Jo Melvin - read more