We carry our scars, our dark memories, our despondency. Out of this darkness a whisper is heard, a crack in the wall and new emotions awaken. A man and a woman meet. They want to build a dream, a poetic drama, The Monastery. They become sister and brother in sorrow and sadness, a nun, a monk. In an act of penance, they try to find trust, hope and love in their desperate and lonely lives. Is it in the realm of reality or illusion... ?
The Monastery is divided into 8 chapters, each with its own unique atmosphere and expression. Its a work that leads through the awakening of emotions, a seduction of the senses through sounds and pictures in an imaginary world, At the same time the evolving story turns into an autobiographical documentary in the artists own life. Fiction turns into Reality.
The three first chapters are women portraits, Eugénie Grandet, Demi-Mondaine and Sirrocco. All three women have been abused and submissive to men. In different settings in time and place they reflect on a way to escape their fate. They are alone, lost.
In chapter 4, Sensual Emotions, the story of the nun and the monk begins... inside the cold walls of the monastery, sounds are heard that awaken gentle emotions. Through waves of sensuality, the heart beats anew and life returns. In the next chapter, Seduction, we are in a dreamstate, a crack is open and a seductive vision of a dancing woman is seen. The voices are soaked with desires and longing.
The Promise, chapter 6, is the centre-piece of The Monastery. Out of the darkness and melancholy, the nun desire to be kissed, caressed and loved. The monk send his wish to find trust and hope in their new romance. In Chapter 7, Immersion, they meet and immerse in emotions for each other. Dreams come true.
The last chapter, A Feather in the Monastery, is the sweet aftermath of lovemaking. The story end in a vision of a new bright future, where sorrows are left behind. They drift through the clouds, lulled by the waves of the sea.
The Monastery is a collaboration between Jenny Eve van den Arend and Dan Söderqvist. The project was initiated in May 2009 and contains many different media: photo, objects, music, video, text. These will be presented in exhibitions, performances and other productions.
Jenny Eve van den Arend (Fr)
photography, voice, prints, objects, french text, video
Born in France 1969, living in Brussels, Belgium. During many years she worked with fashion and interior design. She started with photo as the most suitable media to express herself. Her photographic style is to make photosessions with her self as model. These selfportraits are journeys into a bare soul, an introspection, to reveal her innermost wishes and dreams, but also fears and traumas. She uses special settings, with her own design of clothes, makeup and accessories. The photosessions become performance, like an actor she plays many characters. The camera is used like a brush. She says "I love painting with my camera". Out of hundreds of pictures, she select a handful that become series with a special theme. These are printed on canvas that makes an illusion of old paintings.
Dan Söderqvist (Swe)
music, vocals, additional english text, video
Born 1953, living in Gothenburg, Sweden. He started his first band as a teenager, the legendary Älgarnas Trädgård, a psychedelic/progressive band who made two albums in the early 70´s. During the late 70´s Söderqvist, together with Karl Gasleben created Cosmic Overdose, the first electronic band in Scandinavia. In 1981 Cosmic Overdose transformed into Twice a man, the band he has been working in since then. Twice a man is knowned for their unique northern melancholic 80´s sound, aswell as their visual approach concerning their livework. They often work with themes and conceptual work on their albums and performances. In the middle of the 80´s Twice a man began to make soundtrack related music for theatre, film, danceperformance and later soundart installations and computergames. They have had commissions from many theatres in Sweden, including The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, where they have produced music in five major plays. Besides producing music for the stage and so far 17 albums, Twice a man have performed hundreds of concerts through out Europe. As Rhea Tucanae, Söderqvist has made many collaborative works through Internet. One of them the album Fungi from Yuggoth, based on a poem by H.P. Lovecraft, in collaboration with the american vocal artist pixyblink, with cover photos by Jenny Eve van den Arend.