CULTURE CLUB
Out of the box Edition Reviews: Mapping Gender ALEX FICE TRACKS DOWN CAMBRIDGE’S QUIRKIEST SHOWS AND BRINGS YOU THE LOWDOWN
The stage is empty save for a large, rectangular wooden box with a square crate perched on top. We take our seats and sit in hushed chatter for a few minutes before a knocking sound coming from the box catches our attention. Intermittent banging continues, until the crate suddenly lifts a crack and a dainty, red-nailed hand tentatively emerges, before snatching back into the box. Nervous giggles ripple around the room as the hand slowly reappears around the other side of the box before it whips back inside. Slow and cautious is the gradual reveal of Anders Duckworth – a trans, non-binary dance artist and the creator and performer of Mapping Gender , a solo work created in collaboration with sound artist Kat Austen and olfactory artist John Foley. Part installation, part dance, this multi-sensory performance explores parallels between cartography and historical clothing through a non-binary lens. These ideas begin to come to the fore as the artist slowly deconstructs the box that contains them, using a crowbar to unwedge the front panel. They’re fully revealed at last, wearing an 18th-century style dress that is moulded to the rectangular form of the container, suggesting the imprint that boundaries leave behind even after they’re removed. Audio commentary loops against a multi-instrumental soundtrack,
remarking on how boundaries protect and oppress depending on how they are applied. As the show progresses, the artist dissolves some of the borders and boundaries on stage by unravelling and removing layers of clothing, item by item, and dismantling then rearranging the pieces of the wooden box that initially contained them. Sound and light are masterfully used to create effects that are not just visually arresting, but intelligent and witty; at one point, the performer aligns the rectangular skirt with a projection of a stage curtain, lifting the hem of their dress to reveal elegant, buckled shoes, which in turn dance and perform for the audience. In another moment of breathtaking beauty, the artist dances with the vertical boards of the wooden container, which reflect the light projections like spectral mirrors. Where I’m left wanting is in the promised use of scent; I’d hoped it would be possible to detect shifts in the aromas filling the air. Instead, I can only detect an ambiguous mixture of smells – notes of smoke and glue underpinned by an ethanol sweetness – that remains more or less constant for the duration of the show. Speaking to Anders afterwards, I learn it should be possible to identify two scents – render and cythera – which are meant to evoke the coast, a
space defined by the natural border of the sea. Due to technical issues on the night, however, these olfactory elements don’t come together – though the idea itself shows great ambition. Combining many elements and entertaining each sense (albeit to varying degrees), Mapping Gender is a mesmerising piece of art and intricately crafted choreography. The input of audio testimonies from non-binary contributors provides focus to what might otherwise feel like a meandering example of ‘art for art’s sake’. The words of one contributor, “everyone is pansexual and non-binary if you think about it honestly”, are particularly thought-provoking in the context of a piece that demonstrates the malleability of even the most rigid forms. Cambridge Junction hosts a wide range of performances by diverse and innovative performers throughout the year. Many tickets are offered on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis, ensuring these shows are accessible to all. To see what’s coming up, visit junction.co.uk
PUSHING BOUNDARIES Anders Duckworth’s multi-sensory experience is an exploration of societal pressures
10 JANUARY 2023 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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