‘Communication is key’ in any relationship, right? What does the body have to say when you truly listen to it? What secrets lie within this fleshy archive? It’s time for a heart-to-heart.
In the multidisciplinary performance Soma & Skeleton, Laila Claessen takes you on a honeymoon through the human body. Ancient Ayurvedic wisdom on body and soul is given a contemporary platform. Avant-garde costume design molds new anatomical shapes, and a live soundscape of bodily sounds guides you through all the fleshy, emotional, and spiritual layers of the Self. It’s a journey inwards, a quest for the Holy Shrine; the altar of radical self-love.
Self-love… body positivity… WTF & how? Soma & Skeleton arises from a desire to reshape how we perceive and cherish our bodies. An artistic research, rooted in her own healing journey. Like a martial vow to her body, the burning question lingers: Will she say yes?
Laila Claessen is a theater maker specialized in Vedic sciences. Her work spans performance, film, site-specific theater, sensory food experiences, and Vedic sciences.
She is deeply engaged with the body-soul coexistence and enjoys delving into the tragedy of being human. Her work is covered in a mix of dark humor, childlike philosophy, and metaphors that twist and turn themselves in search for a better meaning. A cute but creepy, disarming mash-up. Do you know that song “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max? It’s a shitty song, her life anthem.
Using language as a foundation, she creates associative images. Visually, her work is hyper-stylized yet DIYed on a low budget. She loves contradictions and contrasts. She mixes the use of soft pipo spots with neon LED lighting and combines minimalistic Feng Shui aesthetics with post-apocalyptic dystopia. Oh, and there’s always a certain level of entertainment and humor. “Come over to the dark side, I have candy…”
Laila’s work is accessible to a broad audience. “My sister, who isn’t really into theater, is the main benchmark for my work; if she likes it, I am fearless of any critic.”