Breathing With [Stream]

Even if breathing often happens automatically and unnoticed, it can only happen in intra-action with the world, through intimate relation(s) with other living organisms. In the current phase of their artistic research Breathing With, Miriam Jakob and Jana Unmüßig look at these entanglements as conditions for and emergence of intimacy and tackle the concern of intimacy through the explorations of somatic bodywork that focuses on breathing (Middendorf, Rosen). They ask how communication and sharing on the topic of breath with peer artists can be understood as a way of materializing the intimate relations propelling around the almost unperceivable, breathing;  how breathing could function as a modality of collaboration – both on a practical and a metaphorical level. - The artistic research project Breathing With is an artistic dialogue between Jana Unmüßig and Miriam Jakob supported by Berlin Artistic Research Grant program. Their multi-format exploration of the topic of breathing is due to continue throughout 2020 and 2021. The aim of Breathing With is to productively complicate the supposedly natural process of breathing: by shifting the focus away from breathing as an exclusively human process and towards other situations, for example, where it is facilitated by technical equipment. Both artists intend to investigate  the ethical-aesthetic potential of breathing through different experimental formats.

In her solo and group works, choreographer Miriam Jakob explores the interfaces between science and fiction. She studied anthropology in Munich, Buenos Aires and in Berlin, graduated from BA (HZT Berlin) and received a Master of Arts from DAS Choreography in Amsterdam. As a performer, dancer and choreographer, she has collaborated with other artists, including a.o. deufert&plischke, Zeina Hanna, Ana Laura Lozza, Varinia Canto Vila, Angela Schanelec, Lisa Densem. www.miriamjakob.de
Jana Unmüßig has a background in choreography. Since 2016 she has engaged in a process of wondering that has resulted in paintings, videos, writings, dramaturgy, teaching, performing durational collaboratively made pieces for artistic research conferences (with Tina Jonsbu), hosting walks (with Francisco Trento). She is an HZT-Alumna and holds a D.A. from Uniarts Helsinki.  www.jana-unmussig.com