US Premier // How the Land Lies on Governors Island

How the Land Lies is a per­for­mance piece incor­po­rat­ing move­ment and scrolling LED signs. Usu­al­ly encoun­tered in pub­lic spaces as low-key adver­tise­ments, the LEDs become ves­sels to con­vey how lan­guage influ­ences mobil­i­ty. While the scrolling text flash­es tourism slo­gans and visa ques­tion­naires, the dancers — all of whom car­ry expe­ri­ences of migra­tion — inter­act with the signs through move­ment. Mean­ings unfold and bor­ders slow­ly blur: who can stay and who must leave? Who is seen and who remains hid­den? What is allowed and what is forbidden?

Pre­sent­ed as part of INTER­VEN­TIONS, Gov­er­nors Island Arts’ annu­al mul­ti­dis­ci­pli­nary per­for­mance series that presents local, nation­al, and inter­na­tion­al artists and invites audi­ences to expe­ri­ence work made and adapt­ed for out­door spaces. INTER­VEN­TIONS is curat­ed by Juan Pablo Siles, Asso­ciate Cura­tor and Pro­duc­er at the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island.