Exoticism
Lucky Lartey
An exploration of exotification and contemporary masculinity which delves deeply into the collective lived experience of people with diverse backgrounds. A journey beyond 80s multiculturalism and box ticking. This resistance work reclaims identity in the context of contemporary Australia through deconstructing and reconstructing the notion of what diverse contemporary work should look like in a post-colonial landscape. Exoticism features dance and tape installation by Lartey with video and animation design by Nathaniel Nelson (Ghana).
Performer and Choreographer: Lucky Lartey
Performer: Vishnu Arunasalam
Dramaturg: Martin del Amo
Read more about the 2022 Keir Choreographic Award
Read interview with Jon Tjhia for Performance Review
Book a KCA Half Pass [Week 2] to see just 4 of the 8 KCA works (30 June—2 July) including:
Slip — Rebecca Jensen
Exoticism — Lucky Lartey
As Below, So Above — Joshua Pether
Follies of God — Raghav Handa
Lucky Lartey is a Sydney-based dancer and choreographer, originally from Ghana, West Africa. Lartey’s most recent achievements include: A solo exhibition In Transit (2022) at Edenandthewillow Gallery, Sydney Opera House season of his collaborative work with Jamestown Collective: INFUSION: No Movement, No Sound (2021), and the debut of his solo work Full Circle as part of FORM Dance Dance Bites Program (2019) at Riverside Theatres. Lartey was invited as part of Critical Path’s Facilitated Program to participate in the 2015 FACETS program at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bangalore, culminating in a performance of the work at the Attakkalari India Biennial (2015). Lartey has also been part of Australia Council Delegations to Portugal (2018) and Singapore. Lartey’s current investigations include the exotification of non-Western bodies and subjectivities, the relationship between hip hop culture and African oral traditions, and environmental issues such as plastic consumption and waste.
The Keir Choreographic Award 2022 Commissions:
The Keir Choreographic Award is a partnership between Dancehouse, The Keir Foundation and the Australia Council for the Arts, with presenting partner Carriageworks.
This work has been created based on lived experience interviews. Lartey would like to thank Jiva Parthian, Shyamla Eswaran and Kaiya Aboagye for their candid, honest responses.