Embodying Slowness in a Dromocratic Society (2024)

Departing from Paul Virilio’s critique[1] on fast-paced western societies, the research project proposes an ‘embodied economy of slowness’ inspired by slow movement principles and practices to cultivate counter-dromocratic narratives, relations and modes of being that transform the experience of public space. The research is developed through two interrelated lines; a series of performative experiments of hyper-slow movement in public space that examine the social, relational impact with passersby and the embodied experience of the performer(s)/participants; and a series of pet-led poetry walks which explores a contemplative, poetic state following non-human rhythms.

In this research contributed: Juriaan Achthoven (writer/documenter), Michiel Deprez (assistant/participant), Didour (performer), Felix Erdmann (participant), Una Štalcar-Furač (participant), Lina Lee (performer, documenter, participant, assistant), Orsolya Németh (participant), Kimvi Ngyuen (documenter, participant), Dolunay Pircioğlu (participant), Carlo Sella (documenter, participant), Nori Tsouloucha (participant), Renée Wetzels (documenter, participant), local market workers (documenters, participants), and passersby (participants). The artistic research was conducted in Tilburg within the framework of the Master Performing Public Space in Fontys Academy of the Arts, in the guidance of Danae Theodoridou.

[1] Speed and Politics. (1977).Virilio.P. MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9781584350408/speed-and-politics/

To get a better view of the process, open the exposition on this link:                          PPS Artistic Research Documentation 2024/25 by Evangelos Biskas