A touchable performance is a space providing time
a timespace that is trusting/trusted
a moving ritual
an invocation
a critic

Desiring
Waiting
Calling
together
for things not here not now
bring them to
here and now
within a breathing in
a breathing out

a practice of a repetitive daily encounter/transformation
a body ready to expand beyond a self
a reset of subject/object

melting snow
now

imaging with the eyes ears noses mouths fingertips, together, altogether
anti-romanticisation
always interrupted
a unique sensing point
almost falling
in love
the beginning between the beginnings
a long preparation and a restart
depending on others and always should
unstoppable questioning
a power structure analysis
fumbling
together
an on-going rehearsal about the need to touch or to be touched
with Ekrem
with Yanfei
with Yunfan

Part of Raffia Li’s on-going research Tilting towards the sensing feeling body (supported by CBK Rotterdam), in which performance is a way of researching, experiencing and sharing sensuous knowledge. With this they aim to find new performance languages responding to the particularity of different bodies, different existences, and sensing preferences beyond the audio and visual realms.

Image description (by Yunfan Tian and translated by Raffia Li from Chinese to English): The red glow projected on the wall expands like a layered iris. A concrete pillar extends from the dark to the glow, with a folded metal plate on its mottled and pitted surface. Photo was taken by Raffia during the in-between show time at the basement of A Tale of A Tub.

This performance is in development, and will continue to develop throughout, and after the exhibition. Part of the long-term performance research is to investigate more deeply the accessibility politics in the Netherlands. Although there is not enough institutional and financial support to facilitate all access needs by the time of the event, detailed information will be provided and updated here, following developments leading up to the performance on 27th of August.

You can also join the performance online, please find below online registration info:
· Registration link: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ag0twI0hTqChZxXTazLTBg
· After registration you will receive a confirmation email with information about participating in the webinar.
· Camera and/or microphone is not mandatory for participants.
· Languages: spoken and written English, Mandarin and Dutch Sign Language (NGT)
· with Zoom Translated Captions
·Audio descriptions(partially by): Yunfan Tian
NGT poetry translation: Eva Prevaes
Interpreters :
Zheng Dan Xia, Lela Fontijn (Dutch Sign Language NGT - English)

You can find the general accessibility information of A Tale of A Tub here
If you’d like to attend the performance and have specific access needs, please feel free to contact and discuss with me: raffia1030@gmail.com

RAFFIA LI (TA/They/She)’s practice has been focusing on working with “otherwise” languages as poetic and political space for relation making/transforming, challenging and interrupting normative way of knowledge and value production. They tilt in slow dialoguing. They work with poetry melting in minor edges/senses, in forms of performances, videos or installations. Their art practice is deeply influenced by poetry, theatre of the oppressed, reading of Zhuangzi, their field research over shadow puppetry and their rituals in China, Thailand, Indonesia and India, their learning experience of being in a sign language art collective Shape of Language & their actions in the hutongs and streets, running a community art festival, diary/letter exchanges with friends, their MA study at Dutch Art Institute, observations of their dreaming state, and the river near Grandma 芹’s yard.

EKREM KOÇ : Hi! My name is Ekrem (sign name “laugh). I am Deafblind. Deafblind? Deafblind is collection name for deaf / hard of hearing with visual impaired / blind. I have Usher Syndrome. My field of vision is smaller. I only see to face, not outside face. I communicate with sign language in a small room and also tactile signing. How do I walk outside? I use a guide cane. I live independently. It is very good here. I communicate with smartphone too. I do a volunteer work for development of ProTactile (Dutch: ProTactiel). ProTactile is a Communication for Deafblind. ((I cannot explain much about ProTactile. It is a new for the Netherlands)).(I am born in the Netherlands. My parents are born in Turkey.) Deafblind Power! <3 (Transcript from Dutch Sign Language by Ekrem.)

YANFEI LI: Hello everyone!I am Yanfei. In 2016, we started the Shape of Language art group to promote and advocate sign language and Deaf culture by sign language art projects.I love to create and enjoy the fun that comes with the process. Sign language art making is a cool and meaningful for me. My focus is to explore different combinations of hand movements to express and convey various ideas and emotions. I hope sign language art could let more people feel the charm of sign language and get to know the Deaf community. (Translated from written Chinese.)

YUNFAN TIAN lives with progressive spinal muscular atrophy and moves with wheelchairs. She is an audio description maker and narrator, she writes poetry and makes art to explore feelings of freedom. Her audio description works range from script writing to online and offline recording, for dance art films, documentaries, pioneering experimental theatres, touch tours, dubbing for VR installations, museum tour training, body-based practices and improvisation theatres, which have been presented at 2021 UK-China Contemporary Culture festival, the 3rd UK-China Disability Arts Forum, Goethe-Institut Peking among others. (Translated from written Chinese.)

Dutch sign language interpreters: Marieke Xia and Lela Fontijn

PART OF THE EXHIBITION

08.07.2023—27.08.2023
The Ground Up And The Washed Down