Akim Bakhtaoui: Humanculus

In this world, humans have altered their humanity to such an extent that there is hardly anything left of it. Only a cold and emotionless machine remains, endlessly pursuing its journey of development and flawlessness.

But inside the Machine, there still lies a piece of humanity acting like a virus that the machine doesn’t seem to be able to get rid of, or let go of. The last remaining remnant of humanity yearns to return to the past. This creates a journey back to the core of humanity to understand what it means to be human. What does humanity look like to a being from whom it has been eradicated?

We examine the strangeness and fascination of the human as an illogical being. We explore the primitive instincts of humans about their basic needs. How do humans act, and why do they act the way they do? How humane is imperfectness – humaneness.

The piece seeks to question our sense of inadequacy, our need to need more, and our thirst to know more. Does more, faster, better, and more efficiently always equal happiness? What can we learn from this moment, about ourselves, and each other?

With this performance, choreographer Akim Bakhtaoui aims at creating a stepping stone for street dance performances on contemporary art stages. Street dance, like any other genre, should have its own place in the field of art without having to hide or adapt its uniqueness.

In his debut performance, Bakhtaoui focuses on Funk dance styles and especially on the aesthetics and technique of Popping.