Blog

Lost in Place is coming back to Tasie soooon!

I’m so excited that Lost in Place chapter 2 is happening this August at Faro, MONA.

Yay yay yaay!

You don’t want to miss this one even you’ve seen the show at Mona Foma.

You know?

It’s never be same.

Book your spot today → Faro Restaurant “Lost in Place”

Lost in Place

Durational performance of electro-ambient psychedelic jazz, accompanied by live dance in the fluid, slow-moving butoh tradition. Devised by Reuben Lewis in collaboration with Yumi Umiumare, I Hold the Lion’s Paw and Taka Takiguchi (滝口貴).

‘Space’ and ‘Place’

The creative rationale of this new work draws from poetic notions of "place" and "space" that are central to the collaborative process behind I Hold the Lion’s Paw (IHTLP) and shakes them up through a radical fusion with Butoh: a marginal Japanese dance practice.

In IHTLP’s work, poetic notions of "place" and "space" are employed to provoke a meditation on our growing need to navigate a path through overwhelming social, economic and global turmoil, as we seek a place – both as a society and as a creative ensemble – to land. These conceptual themes were originally explored in IHTLP’s latest studio album, which is also called 'Lost in Place'.

Duration plays a key role in examining these provocations through this new multi-art form work. Our connection to and experience of "place" and "space" is in a continually evolving and complex relationship with the passing of time; and one of the most powerful elements of live art making is its ability to transform these relationships for the audience.

Durational performance allows a sincere vantage point of the creative continuum that underpins the collaborative framework of 'Lost in Place'. There is no start or end to the work, instead, audiences are invited to get "lost in place" with the artists in a world where time, place and space operate differently. The deliberate nod towards the iconic sci-fi TV series ‘Lost in Space’ and Sun Ra’s revolutionary free jazz record ‘Space is the Place’ also offers a wider frame of reference and connection for the audience as they navigate this experience.

Butoh

Originally known as 'Dance of Darkness', Butoh has always been associated with the marginalised, embracing the abnormal, odd, quirky and the deviant. Initially forced underground, Butoh is now considered a pioneering art form of inter-disciplinary practice and embraced for its fluidity of expressive boundaries and inclusive approach by masterful practitioners and audiences worldwide. 'Butoh-fu' is a form of written notation for choreography described by iconic Butoh artist Yukio Waguri. In Waguri's '7 Worlds of Butoh-fu', combinations of text with visual prompts are utilised to "awaken images through words, then physicalise those images". The inherent openness to interpretation built into 'Butoh-fu' makes it an ideal creative framework for investigating the intersections between dance and music.

Creative Team

Artistic Director, trumpet, pedals, synths, movement: Reuben Lewis 

Synth, voice, electronics, movement: Emily Bennett

Bass, movement: Joseph Franklin 

Drums, movement: Ronny Ferella 

Choreography, movement : Yumi Umiumare 

Installation, movement: Taka Takiguchi (滝口貴)

Movement : Risa Muramatsu Ray 

Movement: Eri Mullooly-Hill Konishi

The first and second developments of ‘Lost in Place’ occurred at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute (VIC) in partnership with the Next Wave organisation prior to a premiere performance season at Mona Foma in 2023.

This project has been assisted by Next Wave and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

In recognition of the deep history and culture of Lutruwita, we acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional owners of the Land upon which Lost in Place was performed. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Tasmanian Aboriginal Communities; all of whom have survived invasion and dispossession, and continue to maintain their identity and culture.

risa ray