From the Labyrinth Issue #41

With Minotaur, Daria Martin puts myth in motion

By Lindsey Underwood
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 11:43am

A film about experimental dance may conjure the memory of posting your roommate’s drunken 3 a.m. audition for Fame to Vimeo, but the medium is used for much more dynamic presentations of emotions. Daria Martin’s Minotaur focuses on a true work of art, a sensual duet based on the mythological creature, and the camera allows her to achieve a voyeuristic level of intimacy.

Postmodern dance pioneer Anna Halprin choreographed the duet, which is inspired by Auguste Rodin’s 1886 sculpture, Minotaur. The sculpture portrays the part-man, part-bull figure from Greek mythology holding a naked woman. Martin weaves together images of the sculpture, images of Halprin, the physical movements of the two dancers, and the exterior of the studio where the dance took place to create a multilayered experimental film. The complex film embraces the sexual dynamics between men and women by juxtaposing several different perspectives. This interpretation breathes fresh air into a creature that has fascinated people for ages.

The exhibit will be on view from October 3 to February 7 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (mcachicago.org).