CREDITS

[EVENT DETAILS​]

Curator: Enya Belak

Selected works

David Bolger: DANCEHALL BLUES
Anastasia Valsamaki: BODY MONOLOGUE
Cécile Da Costa: ROSELYNE

CoisCéim Cinematheque
Studio at CoisCéim
Dublin, Ireland
19 October 2025

Partners
Open House Dublin
HKD – Hrvatski kulturni dom na Sušaku
Pilot Media

[OPEN HOUSE DUBLIN EDITION]

Step inside one of Dublin’s most dynamic creative hubs and discover the kinetic heritage of 42 Fairview Strand. Explore the ground floor of the building and experience how the embodied energy of this former An Post Sorting Office built in 1889 is being constantly enriched to shape an ever-evolving site of artistic innovation and collaboration.

This year, the programme includes a special edition of CoisCéim Cinematheque – a celebration of dance and discovery – in person and up close in 180 degree virtual reality (VR). Aligning strongly with the Open House Europe theme of Future Heritage, CoisCéim’s first VR edition of Cinematheque aims to provoke discourse around how we harness / connect with our physical heritage and its lived experience in ways relevant to now. 

Curated by film director Enya Belak, the programme features the Irish VR Premieres of David Bolger’s DANCEHALL BLUES –  which sees this iconic space transformed into surreal dancehall – and two highly lauded European dance works, Anastasia Valsamaki’s BODY MONOLOGUE, situated in a Greek quarry and Cécile Da Costa’s ROSELYNE from the Czech Republic.

CURATOR’S NOTE

Every monologue is a dialogue: with yourself, your imaginary friend, the space surrounding you, or the world around you.

I believe that space influences our state of mind; it’s like a reflection of the current time. Some spaces carry layers of memories, others merge with nature, and some are like a blank page. Space is never just a shape; space is defined by light, smell, sound, and the body. With this in mind, I have selected three choreographic works in virtual reality that immerse the viewer in a three-dimensional experience of dance across different environments.

BODY MONOLOGUE by Anastasia Valsamaki is set in the vast hall of a marble quarry, once used for mining the marble that built the Acropolis. The space is transformed by the presence of a single body, which explores the limitless possibilities of movement and regenerates how the body can be perceived, coexisting with the environment in an expansive, almost boundless imagination.

In contrast, the space in ROSELYN, choreographed by Cécile Da Costa, is defined by a different kind of place: her place in the room, her place in the eyes of others, her place in life. As Roselyn searches for her place, she encounters a plant. The dialogue between the two of them unfolds, creating a connection between human cohabitation and nature, exploring how nature shapes our spaces and influences our state of being—our emotional, mental, and physical presence in the world.

As twilight draws near, the dance floor opens to DANCEHALL BLUES by David Bolger, where two performers navigate a space where dreams and nightmares collide. The experience of watching VR increases the physical and emotional response, also called the ‘kinesthetic empathy’. Empathy of any kind is much needed in the current reflection of this world, full of divisions. On that note, DANCEHALL BLUES brings hope—a vision of a better place.”

– Enya Belak, September 2025