Jan Fabre . Troubleyn

Are we not all to a certain extent voyeurs? Jan Fabre confronts us with this question. He frequently uses peephole boxes in his work, both on stage and off. A good example is his recent retrospective exhibition in the Flemish Parliament building. 'Etant donnés' also refers to an installation like this. His starting point is the last creation by a kindred spirit, the Dada artist Marcel Duchamp, entitled 'Etant donnés: 1° la chute d'eau, 2° le gaz d'éclairage'. The original work shows a weathered wooden door framed in brick and with two peepholes. If you look through these peepholes you see a naked woman lying on a bed of branches. This image inspired Jan Fabre to write an absurd dialogue between a woman and her sex. While the woman cherishes illusions of desirability and power, her sex constantly 'calls her back' to earthly sexual desires, the hidden driving force of worldly ideas and actions. Jan Fabre wrote 'Etant donnés' for Els Deceukelier. The actress presents us with an exceptional performance here. She has already appeared at deSingel in this solo performance and now you have the opportunity to discover her (once again) in this star role.