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18:30 Uhr

Bodyscapes

Panel Discussion|Art, Disability, and the World We Share

  • Goethe-Institut Hanoi, Hanoi

  • Sprache Vietnamese - English (with simultaneous translation) and Sign language translation
  • Preis Registration to participate

HAN 20260324 1500 © Goethe-Institut Hanoi

HAN 20260324 7360 © Goethe-Institut Hanoi

When is a body considered disabled? Is it when the body cannot move or respond in ways deemed "normal"? Or when it must inhabit a world not designed for it?

The panel discussion "Bodyscapes: Art, Disability, and the World We Share " will open up conversations around questions often raised — yet at the same time often overlooked — when discussing art in general and inclusive arts in particular. These include: who art is for, and which bodies and abilities it opens its doors to. They also include reflections on what we call aesthetics or standards of beauty, and how those standards shape the way we — whether as artists or audiences — approach art. In this context, what questions might the practice of art by diverse bodies raise about all of the above?

The panel discussion is the closing event of artist Michael Turinsky's short residency in Hanoi, as part of the series "Bodyscapes: A Programme Series on Dance and Inclusive Performance Arts with Michael Turinsky". Here, Michael Turinsky collaborates with Kinergie Studio and local artists to develop performances and reflect on the different possibilities of inclusive arts.

Referent*innen

  • Michael Turinsky lives and works in Vienna as a choreographer, performer, and theorist. He is engaged in an extensive investigation of the specific phenomenology of the body labelled "disabled" — its particular existence in the world, its relationship to temporality and rhythm, affect and the production of affect, gender and sexuality, visibility and invisibility — while also engaging seriously with discourses around the productive tension between politics and aesthetics. From 1998 to 2005, he studied philosophy at the University of Vienna. As a performer, he has collaborated with artists including Bert Gstettner – SCargo, SolimanRevisited; TanzHotel AllInclusive; Barbara Kraus – Fuck all that shit; Legitimate Bodies/Robin Dingemans/Mick Bryson – The point at which it last made sense; and Doris Uhlich – Ravemachine. His main choreographic works include heteronomous male (2012), My body, your pleasure (2014), as well as Second Skin – Turn the beat around (2016), Second Skin – Master of Ceremony (2016), and REVERBERATIONS (2018). His collaboration with Doris Uhlich on Ravemachine was awarded the Special Nestroy Prize 2017. Michael Turinsky has lectured and given workshops at the universities of Linz and Salzburg, at the College Art Association in New York, at Tanzquartier Wien, and within the framework of the ImPulsTanz Festival, and has published in various journals.

  • Anna Gräsel, born in east Germany, studied creative writing and has been published in anthologies and literary magazines, while also giving dramaturgical advice for independent theatre productions. Since 2020 she works as a producer and international tour manager, mainly in the field of dance and performance, but was also head of production for some inclusive theatre festivals in Germany. She lives in Vienna.

  • Hoàng Văn Lý is Chairman of the Hoàn Kiếm District Association of the Blind in Hanoi, where he oversees counselling, training, communications support, and policy advocacy for the social inclusion of people with disabilities. He is also a contributor to the Pháp luật Xã hội newspaper and the Hòa nhập online magazine. From 2006 to 2016, he worked as a reporter and editor for radio programmes for visually impaired people and cancer patients at the Voice of Vietnam (VOV). In 2016, he founded Đom Đóm Studio, Vietnam's first social media communications project focused on people with disabilities and disability-related issues. During 2017–2018, he served as an advisor for a vocational guidance project for visually impaired students implemented by Samaritan's Purse. During the same period, he collaborated with the Vocational Training Centre of the Hanoi Association of the Blind as a lecturer in Effective Communication, while also providing career guidance and personal development support. From 2018 to 2019, he was a member of the advisory board for the VTV4 documentary Can You See What I See. From 2020 to 2022, he was a coordinating member of The EYES Project, a social initiative connecting young people with and without visual impairments to break down social barriers and prejudices. From 2020 to 2023, he served as media advisor and supporter for the visually impaired sports dance competition Bước nhảy xóa mọi khoảng cách. He is a key member of the organising committee of the poetry event Tháng thơ – Se Sẽ Chứ 2024.

  • Minh Hai (b. 1993) is a Vietnamese dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher based in Hanoi. Her practice is shaped by in-depth training across multiple movement disciplines, including contemporary dance, improvisation, ballet, martial arts, and is currently expanding through her practice of Chinese classical dance. This diverse physical foundation informs a nuanced understanding of the body in motion, where different movement logics and energies coexist within her choreographic language. Drawing from close observation of everyday life, her works explore a wide range of themes, including folk culture, personal growth and transformation, and the interconnectedness between individuals, society, and the natural world. With extensive experience working with performers of diverse ages, physical abilities, and levels of training, Hai approaches choreography as a flexible and responsive process. She recognises and cultivates each performer's individual strengths, fostering their development and shaping these qualities into advantages that serve the specific needs and character of each work.

Moderatorin

Hải An Ngụy

Ngụy Hải An earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in International Politics from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Starting her career as an international news reporter, An later transitioned into the arts, serving as Education Curator at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) from 2018 to 2020. Since 2021, she has been Head of Education and Communications at the APD – Centre for Art Patronage and Development. An is also Project Manager for the classical music project "Schubert in a Mug" since 2020. An actively participates in various art projects and activities in multiple roles, including: co-curator of the Viễn Ảnh project with curator Trần Lương (APD, 2025–2026); co-curator of the music project "e mình" with Phan Đỗ Phúc (Schubert in a Mug, 2025–2026); education facilitator for the community art project "Chơi Rì" curated by Trịnh Ngân Hạnh (Picenza & ChildFund Vietnam, 2025); education curator for the sound workshop series "Improvisation Station" and "Deep Listening" (Hanoi Festival of Creative Design, 2024); education curator for the public programme of the exhibition "A Tide of Emotions" by Chiharu Shiota (VCCA, 2023–2024); and producer for the contemporary dance performance "A wo|man" as part of the Antigone Saison Project (Goethe-Institut Vietnam, 2021–2022).

Partner

  • Logo Goethe-Institut
  • Kinergie Studio