1. Training

2. Collaboration with Robert Wilson

3. Work as a choreographer for Kobalt Works

4. Work as a choreographer outside of Kobalt Works

5. Work as a dramatic adviser for Eisa Jocson

6. Work as a teacher

7. Work as a curator

8. International research projects

9. Productions

10. Filmography

11. References

12. External links

13. Further reading

Training

Arco Renz grew up in Germany in a family of professional dancers. As a child he already attended a dance course in Bremen. After high school he studied dance, theater and literature in Berlin and Paris.^[3][4] Later he followed dance training at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels from 1995 to 1998.^[5] He belonged to the first group of students who graduated from P.A.R.T.S..

Collaboration with Robert Wilson

During his studies at P.A.R.T.S, Arco Renz began working with the American director Robert Wilson. He did this from 1997 to 2001, first as a performer and later as an assistant. The collaboration included various dance, theater and opera productions: Prometheus: A Tragedy or Listening / Prometeo: Tragedia dell'ascolto by Luigi Nono (1997), 70 ANGELS ON THE FAÇADE: Domus 1928 -1998 (1998), THE DAYS BEFORE: death, destruction and detroit III (1999), Hot Water (2000), Relative Light (2000), Prometheus (2001), Aida by Giuseppe Verdi (2002) and Alceste by Christoph Willibald Gluck (2004).^[6]

In the period that he collaborated with Robert Wilson, Arco Renz also danced in several other productions: Curtain'd with a cloudy red (1998), the final work of his fellow student / choreographer Thomas Plischke at P.A.R.T.S.,^[7] and je, tu, nous: les jardins secrets (1999) by French choreographer Christian Bourrigault.^[8]

Work as a choreographer for Kobalt Works

In 1999 Arco Renz founded his own company Kobalt Works in Brussels, which creates stage performances and projects in collaboration with partners from Europe and Asia. Arco Renz and his company have since created more than 25 full-length choreographies and a series of commissioned works.^[9] An important aspect of their activities is the involvement in transcultural and interdisciplinary research and collaboration projects. Over the years Arco Renz and Kobalt Works have built a broad network with important performing arts organizations in Asia; they realized collaborations with performers from, among others, Cambodia, the Philippines, India, Java and Vietnam.

The driving force behind the work of Arco Renz are encounters. "Wherever in the world I work, the intention to create is always the same: I want to make connections, whether it's between people or between the viewer and the work, so I find meetings with others very important", he himself says.^[10] Accidental encounters are an important source of inspiration for him.

His love for pure, formal dance and his interest in traditional Eastern theater techniques are a recurring element in his oeuvre, in which he seeks a relationship with both Eastern and Western dance. Arco Renz concentrates on the shared space between Eastern and Western forms of movement.^[3] His interest in the East goes back to his student days in Paris. There he saw Chinese opera and Noh theatre. He also became acquainted with Qigong and Tai chi. During his first trip through Asia in 1994, he became fascinated by the energy of the Indian Kathakali dance theater.^[3] According theater scholar / critic Lieve Dierckx he deliberately circumvents the pitfalls of exoticism or postcolonial stereotypes in the contact between East and West. In creation processes he therefore places himself rather in the role of catalyst and guide than of choreographer. He prefers to depart from the individual freedom of the performer than from pre-established principles.^[3] An example of his collaboration in Asia is that in 2011 in Phnom Penh with Amrita Performing Arts. This institution is committed to the revival of classical Cambodian dance and music after the damage caused by the Khmer Rouge. Arco Renz introduced the dance students to contemporary dance forms. He also made his performance Crack (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2011) with a number of them.^{[11][12][13][14][15]}

In the performances of Arco Renz costumes, light, projections and scenography act as equal players. He himself speaks of an 'abstract dramaturgy', in which the body confronts with the parameters of time and space to investigate the emotional potential of abstraction.^[16]

Work as a choreographer outside of Kobalt Works

Arco Renz also works independently of his company Kobalt Works. He assisted Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker in the opera productions I Due Foscari (2003) by Giuseppe Verdi and Hanjo (2004) by Toshio Hosokawa for La Monnaie. Afterwards he also choreographed for Luc Bondy's production of Idomeneo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2005) and the world creations Julie by August Strindberg (2005) and Yvonne, Princesse de Bourgogne (2009).^[16] In 2006 he also provided the choreography for Aubade (Francis Poulenc) for La Monnaie.^[6] A year later he directed and choreographed for the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence Les Madrigaux, based on the madrigals of Claudio Monteverdi.^[17] More recent he choreographed the Cellokonzert (2009) by Bernd Alois Zimmermann with the Brussels Philharmonic in the Concertgebouw Brugge,^[18] he created MAD (2010) for Carte Blanche, the Norwegian national dance company, and he provided the choreography for Bedlam (2010) by director Sybille Wilson.^[19] In 2011 he created 2069 for the German Tanztheater NordWest / Oldenburg.^[20]

Work as a dramatic adviser for Eisa Jocson

Arco Renz was also a dramatic adviser for the productions Macho Dancer (2013)^[21] and Host (2015)^[22] of the Filipino choreographer and dancer Eisa Jocson, who also worked on and danced in the productions COKE (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2014) and ALPHA (Arco Renz, 2014).

Work as a teacher

Arco Renz regularly leads workshops on dance and choreography in Europe and Asia. He was guest lecturer at, among others, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore (2000), The Watermill Center in New York (1999, 2001), Bali Purnati Foundation of the Arts (2000-2003), Compania Nacional de Canto y Danca in Mozambique (2002), Hoger Instituut voor Dans in Lier (2002), Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles (2003), Korea National University of Arts in South Korea (2005), RITS - Erasmus Hogeschool Brussels (2007), Taipei National University of the Arts (2009), Taipei Artist Village (2009), ISI Surakarta in Indonesia (2011-2013), Indonesian Dance Festival (2012), University of the Philippines in Manila (2012), PETA Theater Manila (2012), Amrita Performing Arts in Phnom Penh (2010-2013-2014-2015), Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts (in Brussels (2013), ISI Padangpanjang in Indonesia (2013-2014), Vietnam National Opera Ballet (2015), Ho Chi Minh City Ballet / HBSO (2014) and Southeast Asian Choreolab in Malaysia (2015).^[16][23]

Work as a curator

In 2017-2018 Arco Renz was guest curator for EUROPALIA INDONESIA. He is well acquainted with the various Indonesian art scenes, in particular the dance scene. Together with local curators, he made a selection for the performing arts program of the international arts festival.^[24] In his own words, he conceived the program as a meeting place where artists, the public and the exhibition spaces "can discover the richness and diversity of Indonesian performing arts". The program included both traditional and contemporary dance. He invited performing artists such as Darlane Litaay, Eko Supriyanto, Melati Suryodarmo and Otniel Tasman to produce new creations. The Western choreographers Meg Stuart and Gisèle Vienne were given a carte blanche residence in Indonesia.^[25]

International research projects

Arco Renz is also the initiator of Monsoon, an exchange platform that regularly brings together artists from different disciplines from Asia and Europe. The aim is to question common stereotypes by exploring artistic practices together with the participants and discussing their diverse cultural and socio-political contexts. Each meeting is organized in a different way, depending on the specificities of the participants and the host organizations. Monsoon editions took place in Seoul (2006, Gyungi Foundation),^[26] Leuven (2007, 2010 and 2017, STUK),^[27][28] Brussels (2013, BOZAR),^[29] Sydney (2015),^[30] Antwerp (2017, wpZimmer)^[31] and Ghent (2017, Vooruit). The edition of Monsoon in the autumn of 2017 took place within the framework of EUROPALIA INDONESIA. Six artists from Indonesia were brought together with six artists from Europe. From different disciplines and with backgrounds, they worked together for a week and presented their work-in-progress to the public at the end of that week.^[32]

Arco Renz and Kobalt Works were also partners in TABUROPA, a theater and research project that ran for 18 months in Portugal, Poland, Belgium and Germany and focused on the diversity in dealing with taboos. He produced the performance Incubadora with members of the Portuguese Teatro Praga.^[33]

Productions

With Kobalt Works:^[34]

• Think Me Thickness (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2001)
• .states. (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2001)
• Mirth (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2002)
• Dreamlands (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2003)
• Opium (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2004)
• Heroïne (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2004)
• Bullit (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2006)
• i!2 (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2008)
• 1001 (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2010)
• CRACK (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2011)
• DUST (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2011)
• solid.states (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2012)
• Discografie (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works and Marc Vanrunxt / kunst/werk, 2013)
• COKE (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2014)
• Hanoi Stardust (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works in collaboration with Nuria Guiu Sagarra, 2014)
• ALPHA (Arco Renz, 2014)
• EAST (Arco Renz / Kobalt Works, 2015)

Other productions:^[34]

• Elea: Sphingein (Arco Renz, 1998) ^[35]
• Happy zode (Arco Renz and Sharon Zuckerman, 2001)^[36]
• Aubade (Arco Renz in collaboration with Su Wen-Chi, 2006)
• PA (Arco Renz, 2009)
• Zimmermann Cello Concerto (Arco Renz, 2009)
• MAD (Arco Renz, 2010)
• 2069 (Arco Renz, 2011)

Filmography

• Heroïne [movie] (Alexis Destoop / Kobalt Works, 2013)^[37][38]

References

External links

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211163745/http://www.kobaltworks.be/people/arco-renz Biography of Arco Renz on the website of Kobalt Works]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211112930/https://www.goethe.de/resources/files/pdf83/pk11219292.pdf Biography of Arco Renz] on the website of the Goethe Institut
• Podiumkunsten in Vlaanderen - Producenten - Kobalt Works
• Kunstenpunt - People - Arco Renz according to Flanders Arts Institute
• [https://vimeo.com/kobaltworks/videos Vimeo channel Arco Renz / Kobalt Works]

Further reading

• Nurten Aka, [https://issuu.com/brusselnieuws.be/docs/agenda1321 Arco Renz about the individual and seduction], in: Brussel Deze Week, Agenda, N° 1321, 23-29/03/2012, p. 11
• Michaël Bellon, Philosophy or Choreography, in: Brussel Deze Week, June 2006
• Danielle De Regt, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211124931/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/385/download?token=Nj74eTJB Een worsteling van zelfbewuste marionetten], in: De Standaard, 16/10/2008, p. 35
• Charlotte De Somviele, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125002/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/449/download?token=C9EqdawX Schoonheid onder de sterren], in: De Standaard, 11/12/2014, p. 7
• Wilfried Eetezonne, Dans ... ..., in: De Morgen, 16/10/2008, p. 25
• Kester Freriks, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125041/https://www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/east/kobalt-works/ Hallucinerende oosterse dans op extreem luide muziek], in: Theaterkrant, 06/10/2016
• Karlien Meganck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125219/http://www.goethe.de/ins/id/lp/prj/tco/arc/por/en14196969.htm Interview with Arco Renz - Karlien Meganck in conversation with Arco Renz], in: Tanzconnexions, 2015
• Philippe Noisette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125324/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/364/download?token=_DI1IoB_ fatale abstraction - Mirth d'Arco Renz], in: lesinrockuptibles
• Jeroen Peeters, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125355/http://sarma.be/docs/478 Als een viewmaster], in: Financieel-Economische Tijd, 12/01/2000
• Jeroen Peeters, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125449/http://sarma.be/docs/432 Bedrieglijke schoonheid - Choreograaf Arco Renz over 'Dreamlands'], in: De Morgen, 07/11/2003
• Jeroen Peeters, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125528/http://sarma.be/docs/447 Vergeetachtige schoonheid - Arco Renz en Kobalt Works met 'Dreamlands' in STUK], in: De Morgen, 13/11/2003
• Jeroen Peeters, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125604/http://sarma.be/docs/761 Sensualisme en weerstand - Arco Renz creëert 'Opium' in STUK], in: De Morgen, 12/10/2004
• Wouter Pouseele, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125639/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/338/download?token=lvybXxUn Dust - Stof tot nadenken], in: VETO, nr. 3804, 17/10/ 2011
• Joost Ramaer, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125717/https://www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/coke/arco-renz-kobalt-works/ Overrompelende ontdekkingsreis door de Filipijnse danscultuur], in: Theaterkrant, 09/07/2016
• Geert Sels, Een worsteling van zelfbewuste marionetten, in: De Standaard, 16/10/2008, p. 67
• Ive Stevenheydens, [https://issuu.com/brusselnieuws.be/docs/agenda1407 Discografie: cosmopolitan choreography], in: Brussel Deze Week, Agenda, N°1407, 20/12/2013 - 09/01/2014, p. 23
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125917/http://sarma.be/docs/2231 Gespannen spieren en popcorn], in: De Standaard, 23/04/2001
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125952/http://sarma.be/docs/2302 Abstract met inhoud], in: De Tijd, 10/04/2002
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130025/http://sarma.be/docs/2440 Spanningen van de schoonheid], in: De Tijd, 29/10/2003
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130055/http://sarma.be/docs/2443 Bewegen in dromenland], in: De Tijd, 06/11/2003
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130124/http://sarma.be/docs/2720 Bevreemdende ervaring in de black box: Arco Renz/Kobalt Works > 'P.O.P.E.R.A.'], in: De Morgen, 14/02/2007
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130158/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/336/download?token=fW0Xyyh- Immersieve danskunst], in: De Morgen, 31/10/2006
• Pieter T'Jonck, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130228/http://www.kobaltworks.be/file/339/download?token=u4EeL8wj De kunst van het verleiden - Choreograaf Arco Renz palmt Leuvense schouwburg in met 'Dust'], in: De Morgen, 06/10/2011, p. 33
• Pieter T'Jonck, Vaag rendez-vous tussen traditie en vernieuwing, in: De Morgen, 27/03/2012, p. 32
• Elke Van Campenhout, Dansen geeft het publiek energie, in: De Standaard,
• Elke Van Campenhout, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130259/http://sarma.be/docs/825 Dreams on the edge of nightmare], in: De Standaard, 07/10/2004 (Engelse vertaling)
• Elke Van Campenhout, Dromen op de rand van de nachtmerrie, in: De Standaard, 07/10/2004
• Elke Van Campenhout, i!2 - Pornografisch vrouwenportret
• Eline Van De Voorde, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130412/http://cobra.canvas.be/cm/cobra/podium/podium-recensie/1.2173699 Hanoi Stardust - Arco Renz / Kobalt Works], in: Cobra.be, 07/12/2014
• Moos van den Broek, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130520/https://www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/discografie/marc-vanrunxt-arco-renz/ Gepolijste danssolo over transformatie], in: Theaterkrant, 16/04/2015
• Moos van den Broek, [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211130650/https://www.theaterkrant.nl/tm-artikel/kracht-transformatie-profiel-arco-renz/ De kracht van transformatie - Profiel Arco Renz], in: Theaterkrant, February 2016
• Mirjam van der Linden, Renz geeft pure dans eigen accent, in: De Volkskrant, July 2003
• Sarah Vankersschaever, Opnieuw en opnieuw en..., in: De Standaard/DS2, 17/12/2013, p. 7
• Sarah Vankersschaever, Dust, in: De Standaard, De Standaard/DS2, 05/10/2011, p. 9
• Tine Wilberts, Ik ga veel verder dan de gewone balletles, in: Gazet van Antwerpen/Metropool Stad, 19/02/2014, p. 21

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