Disappear

Grief is often a lonely, complicated and erratic process. The emptiness that someone has inside is not visible, audible or tactile on the outside. Many people find it difficult to help someone who is grieving. For fear of doing something wrong, they avoid contact. While a connection is also necessary. What if grieving can be a shared experience, for a while?

The installation Disappear is a spatial sound journey that makes the emptiness associated with loss visible, tangible and audible. Just as grief can prevail, overwhelm or fall into the background, we also hear that in music. A voice is lost in silence or swallowed up by other sounds. But if that voice finds support, everything comes together, for a while. An arm and torso reach out to each other but do not touch: as a visitor, you can complete the embrace. The material of the sculpture discolours due to a temperature difference when touched. In contrast to other art objects in the museum, touch is crucial here: it's okay.

For this project, Koutchoukali, Douwstra and Breuls are joining forces. The composition lasts 8.30 minutes and sounds continuously. Disappear is part of the Gaudeamus Festival.

About the creators

Kenza Koutchoukali (Utrecht, 1988) is a director of contemporary opera and musical theatre. With her work, she explores the limits of reality, while putting empathy for others at the center.

Tessa Douwstra (Rotterdam, 1989) is a singer, songwriter and producer. Under the name LUWTEN, she makes impressionist pop music with influences from minimal music, folktronica and R&B.

Designer and conceptual artist Marlou Breuls (Elsloo, 1991) founded the multidisciplinary studio House of Rubber, constantly pushing the boundaries of artistic, intuitive expression.

‍