Following their successful launch last year, Block Universe returns 30 May-5 June as London’s first annual festival dedicated to performance art. The theme this year is The Future Perfect and presents performances which make the audience question how we construct the idea of self in a technologically sophisticated society. This 2016 edition see seven new commissions from a mixture of emerging and established artists exhibited at iconic venues across London.

Attendees will be the first to see new pieces from artists such as Alexis Blake, Phillip Ewe and Erica Scourti. Meanwhile Mårten Spångberg, whose shows have toured internationally since 1999 will finally come to the UK, with his premier performance at The Mall on 1 June, The Internet. Investigating the influences of digital communication on choreography and representation, the show pushes the boundaries of performance and music, while dance and sculpture are intertwined to turn social network into a secondary audience.

On 3 June at Parthenon Gallery, Alexis Blake will present a new piece co-commissioned by Block Universe and Delfina Foundation.. Conditions of an Ideal couples professional athletes and Paralympic athletes to question the historical representations of the idealised feminine body. Through choreography – and referencing Diana Watts and Dora Menzler’s contributions to the Women’s Physical Culture Movement ­– the performance explores notions of national collective identity compared to personal expression.

Block Universe runs from 30 May – 5 June, various locations, London.

For more information on the range of performances visit www.blockuniverse.co.uk

Credits:
1. Alexis Blake, Allegory of the Painted Woman (2012-2015). Courtesy of Block Universe. Photography: Ran Biran
2. Mårten Spångberg, The Internet (2015). Courtesy of Block Universe. Photography: Tani Simberg.