Leon Kahane: Pas de deux

Leon Kahane, born in 1985 in (East)Berlin, is not a ballet dancer. His art is usually not about (other) art. But in Pas de deux Leon Kahane is dancing, and he dances to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. However, he dances not as perfect as his dance instructor Ketevan Papava – first soloist of the Wiener Staatsballett with whom he performs this piece together. Yet The Nutcracker has to be performed perfectly, because of its affiliation to high culture – particularly in Russia, where the image of Tchaikovsky is kept "perfect" by hiding both his homosexuality and his suicide. Kahane has developed Pas de deux for the Moscow Biennale 2015 for an international and for the Russian audience. Kahane performs this piece and makes many mistakes. “Making mistakes means reflecting, about oneself and about things. Contemporary art that is ‘free’ should reflect.” Where, when and under which conditions is art ‘free’? Kahane dances to raise this question. Presumably, he also dances for the freedom of art.

Curator: Nicolaus Schafhausen

In co-operation with viennacontemporary

Free admission (limited capacity)

Supported by Wiener Staatsballett