Richtje Reinsma's Vragen? #1 was the first of four outputs sprouting from her artistic research on the practice of asking questions. The Dutch-spoken performance, of which this video is an impression, was presented at the live performative symposium In the pause of a gesture there might be an echo #2 in PuntWG, Amsterdam.
Richtje Reinsma developed the conceptual idea, wrote the manuscript, and performed Vragen? #1. Janneke Raaphorst designed the paper costume, Luciënne Venner designed Richtje's make-up, Jair Stein was her voice coach, and the facial expression and posture coach was Reineke Jonker.
Vragen? (Questions?) is a long-term artistic research project. Richtje Reinsma explored the phenomenon of the question by analysing what kind of intonations, facial expressions, and postures are involved in 'the practice of asking a question'. Thereupon, she delved into 'the question as an instrument' in various contexts, such as everyday verbal socialising practices, education, public speaking, politics, arts, and journalism. Her investigation in the pros and cons of questioning as a general attitude to life has resulted in the experimental performative pseudo-monologue Vragen? #1 consisting of two statements and ninety-six questions ending with a Q&A with the audience.
Vragen? is een langlopend artistiek onderzoeksproject van Richtje Reinsma. Allereerst onderzocht ze de praktijk van het vragen stellen door te verkennen welke intonaties, gezichtsuitdrukkingen, gebaren en houdingen betrokken zijn bij het stellen van een vraag. Vervolgens beproefde zij de vraag als instrument in verschillende contexten, zoals alledaagse verbale omgangspraktijken, onderwijs, spreken in het openbaar, politiek, kunst en journalistiek. Ook bestudeerde zij de voor- en nadelen van de vragende opstelling als algemene levenshouding. Dit resulteerde in de experimentele performatieve monoloog Vragen? #1 bestaande uit twee statements en zesennegentig vragen, eindigend met een Q&A met het publiek.
Vragen? is part of the Suns and Stars program of 2021-2023, an overarching program for artistic practices that develop through open-ended research in a context of collaboration, initiated by Marjoca de Greef and Anastasija Pandilovska. Other participating artists are Sarah van Lamsweerde and Aram Lee.
Made possible with the kind support of the Mondriaan Fonds and Lira Fonds.