In CANCELLED by Maria Hassabi, four female performers move through a soundscape that suggests an endless lifespan. The choreography, defined by Hassabi’s signature use of stillness and deceleration, features representational female poses drawn from historical mannerisms. The use of verticality and frontality creates a sense of resistance—both as a metaphor and a reality—reflecting on themes connected to the work’s title. Carefully composed, CANCELLED evokes and questions the subtle exchanges of power between subjects.
Since the early 2000s, Hassabi has developed a distinctive artistic practice that explores the relationship between the live body, the still image, and the sculptural object. Her work examines concepts of time and the human figure, utilizing various media to emphasize the complexity of formal organization. Often, the performing body is embedded within large-scale installations, where every action—even the gaze—is meticulously choreographed to precise counts and cues. Through this rigorous structuring, the negotiation between gravity, time, and space reveals the physical side effects of labor, anchoring both dancers and viewers in the present moment. The spectacle that initially invites the audience gradually exhausts itself, exposing a shared corporeality and a radical intimacy.
CREDITS
Performers
Elena Antoniou
Maria Hassabi
Alice Heyward
Shelley Senter
Sound Design
Stavros Gasparatos, Maria Hassabi
Outfits
Victoria Bartlett
Production Management
Eva Theofanidou
CANCELLED was produced by LUMA Foundation and premiered at LUMA ARLES as part of the Artist-in-Residency Program. It was co-commissioned by and received additional support from FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, in partnership with VIA Art Fund.