The fifteenth Tonight featured Aurélien Froment and Youri Dirkx. In Order of Appearance questions way of presenting an artwork. The presentation takes place amidst architecture made of paper, modelled on the white cube of the museum. This draft version of the gallery space is used here as an operating table, an abstract playground where objects and artworks are transformed in one way and then another exploring their identity and functions. The piece explores the different viewpoints that one has of objects according to their context of exposition. Setting up an ambivalent intermediary space on a stage, French artist Aurélien Froment fills it with objects in transit handled by actor Youri Dirkx. The objects were previously presented in a series of exhibitions that occurred in 2009 at venues such as Montehermoso in Vitoria, Gasworks in London and the CCA Wattis in San Francisco.

Aurélien Froment (born 1976 in Angers, France, lives and works in Dublin) explores how the periphery of display systems, understood in a broad way, operates: from the gallery walls to the screen to book pages. With the complicity of actor Youri Dirkx, his interest in the exhibition medium has recently broadened to theater. After Playground in Leuven, the New Festival of the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and in New York for Performa 09, it will be presented at Frascati, Amsterdam. Aurélien Froment’s work has been internationally exhibited, notably at the CCA Wattis, San Francisco, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, and Project Arts Centre, Dublin.

Youri Dirkx (born 1972 in Belgium, lives and works in Brussels) studied acting at the Kleine Academie from 1992 until 1995. Since 1997 he is a member of the Brussels based theatre company called Tristero. He also worked as a performer on several projects by visual artist Dora Garcia. In 2008 as well as in 2009 he received a grant for personal artistic development from the Arts Department of the Flemish Community.

In Order of Appearance, a performance by Youri Dirkx and Aurélien Froment.
Performed by Youri Dirkx
Models, props and artworks: courtesy of Aurélien Froment and Motive Gallery, Amsterdam
Dramaturgy consultant: Myriam Van Imschoot
Coproduction: Playground, Stuk Art Centre, Leuven and If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part of Your Revolution, Amsterdam.
Supported by Etant Donnés and the Kadist Art Foundation.

Overview of If I Can’t Dance Tonight events