Moving Still

About

Moving Still is a new conceptual work by Jiří Kylián presented as a sculpture installation of nine life-sized 3D-printed dancers shown in public space. The project explores the tension between movement and stillness, interior and exterior, and the fragile, transient nature of existence, with an image language partly inspired by the immobility of the victims of Pompeii. The figures appear suspended in mid-flight and are sliced in two, evoking instability and division. Around the world-premiere installation on Václav Havel Square, Kylián curated special evenings in the National Theatre that combined his films, choreography, spoken word, performances by Czech National Ballet dancers, and live music by Nils Petter Molvær. A companion display with four of the nine sculptures in the Municipal House links the artistic vision to key moments in Czech history, including the formation and dissolution of Czechoslovakia.