Ayelet Cohen
Land
E
scape
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
I learn a great deal from watching the stages of the work process of composition and recording. With Oded Zehavi, for example, this is my third year that we are working together, and I feel that he understands my way of thinking better than various dance professionals, precisely because both of us are connected to the same emotional elements that we aim for in our work. This way of thinking of “seeing the bigger picture” in composing music, as the “leader” responsible for several instruments, pushes me to take a step back all the time to see the overall image. It is clear that ultimately, this is a dance performance, at least according to the visual meaning of the field, but I have no doubt that what defines dance for me is the music that accompanies the movement. Not necessarily the performance itself, but the genuine movement itself. Over the years you have exhibited in several occasions and one of the hallmarks of your work is the capability to create direct involvement with the viewers, who are urged to evolve from a condition of mere spectatorship. So before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience. Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decision-making process, in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context?
The knowledge that an audience will be watching the performance has a strong influence upon me. This does not mean that I create for the audience, or approach the creative process with the intent of supplying something to the audience. I think that I am able to remain true to myself and to what I would like to convey in each performance, without taking various public opinions into account. However, there is definitely something in the creative process that is very aware of the presence of the audience who will inevitably be there. I am sure that if a situation arises in which I have finished a show and the audience didn’t connect in any way and didn’t find the opening