BREAKFIX

BREAKFIX is grounded on the principles of the Japanese art of kintsugi.

Fundamental questions driving this work are; if breakage is needed to create change, how can we deal with the cruelty of it, which will always be an inherent part of the process? Is the notion of demolition as a pleasurable act only violent or does it have other, more positive, aspects and connotations to it? How is it related to privilege? Does the dysfunctional open space form a kind of freedom and what might be the problem of this perspective? What if we look to hacking and reverse engineering as forms of repair? If we want to move away from the simplification of things as either broken or fixed what words do we use and what expressions can this take (physically, vocally, visually)?

The main goal is not to make work about these issues but to see where these questions lead if used as guides in navigating dynamics in the process. What kind of discussions and materials do these reflections generate?

The complete process of BREAKFIX extends over four years (2024-28) and consists of the following phases; preparation (2024-25), creation (2026), destruction (taking apart) (2027) and re-creation (2027-28).

After research residencies in Buda, Kortrijk (October 2024), KAOS vzw in Brussels (spring 2025), workspacebrussels (September 2025) and Tanzhaus Zurich (December 2025) the project goes into a more classical creation phase in the spring of 2026. Between January and June Mark Etchells, Vic Grevendonck and Nada Gambier will develop a staged trio that will premiere in June 2026 in Buda, Kortrijk.