Vass Imre: READING THE ROOM

The “room” appears empty, yet it is brimming with a desire to communicate. Self-contained and ever-changing, only those willing to cross the threshold of reason and dare to lean in close can hear its message.

After exploring gallery spaces, attics, and post-industrial halls, Imre Vass’s process-based work returns to the intimate space of Trafó Kabin; to expand the boundaries of our sensitivity and consciousness!

🇬🇧 Reading the Room is an improvisational and performative practice that invites the audience to witness a journey that investigates precarious routines of increasing the sensitivity of attention. It attempts to braid multiple strands of information and possibilities, weaving them into a singular whole.

More information: https://trafo.hu/en/programs/tanc_reading_the_room_3

READING THE ROOM is an improvisational performative practice that reveals a different facet at every new venue. As it attempts to capture the present moment, fragments of memory and symbols from previous venues, along with the possibilities offered by Trafó Kabin, simultaneously intrude into the field of attention. This is framed by the room, in which the performer and the audience mutually expand the boundaries of their sensitivity; dancing on a tightrope stretched between reality and imagination, they approach a collectively created narrative.

The phrase “reading the room” refers to the ability to read subtle, non-verbal cues; it means understanding the atmosphere and mood of a situation or social context. The performance explores how the characteristics of the location—its physical parameters, the genius loci, and the context—and the presence of the audience influence this ability. How easily can we interpret—or misinterpret—a given situation? How fully can we be present in a confined space where we’re practically breathing down each other’s necks?

Created and performed by: Imre Vass

Technical collaborator: Júlia Mohácsi

Music: Mike Nylons

Photo: Barnabás Neogrády-Kiss

Video: András Szombathy

Production partner: Katlan Group

Supporters: Műhely Foundation, NDA Slovenia, Divert, Tala Plejs, Life Long Burning, art quarter Budapest, ITM, NKA, City of Budapest, PCU, FEA

Imre Vass is an artist supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe – Life Long Burning – Creative Crossroads program.

Funded by the European Union. The views and statements expressed herein reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily correspond to the official position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Our performances were realized with financial support from the Pro Cultura Urbis Public Foundation and the Independent Performing Arts Fund.