A production of Dance Company Nanine Linning 

BACON 

He painted the abysses of the human soul: the British artist Francis Bacon. Basic mechanisms of relationships such as desire, domination and exclusion he presented with merciless honesty and painful beauty.
With her piece, Nanine Linning fathoms the emotional cosmos of Bacon`s paintings and detects in their uncompromising depiction an analogy with her own art. With excessive physicality, the choreography explores fundamental patterns of behavior, which blur the line between human and feral bearing by their archaic and merciless nature. From an almost disturbing proximity the spectator witnesses the struggle of the individual for affiliation. 

At the same time fascinating and disturbing, the piece celebrates its comeback on stage fourteen years after its first release. BACON, which received the »Swan« for the best Dutch choreography, returns with revised choreography and new video- and light design. 

The VSCD (Association of Directors of Dutch Venues and Concert Halls) dance jury awarded the Swan for best dance production 2004-2005 to Bacon.

“Inspired by the work of Francis Bacon, one of the most important painters of the twentieth century, Nanine Linning choreographed the surprising production Bacon.

Together with five dancers, composer Jacob ter Veldhuis and video artist Jan Boiten, Linning has immersed herself in Bacon’s expressive oeuvre to create a single all-embracing production. An extraordinary and energetic marriage of different disciplines: video, music and dance – with a unique, mutually strengthening effect. The alternation between flowing and contrasting movements is physical, energetic and scintillating. An impressive stage design, a strong mood-setting composition and an intriguing choreography make Bacon an expressive experience that grabs you just as hard as the morbid, disconcerting yet simultaneously vulnerable work of the artist Francis Bacon.”

And in the Press:

»Instead of quoting the imageries of Francis Bacon, Nanine Linning creates a choreographic painting herself.«tanznetz 

»Linning‘s piece Bacon is impressive when it comes to the expressive representation of pain, agony and fear.« NRC Handelsblad 

»Nanine Linning paints. With bodies. With light. With reedy feral sounds (Jacob ter Veldhuis). And her dancers provide brilliant colors , structures and nuances for the world of Bacon.« Mannheimer Morgen 

»Nanine Linning‘s Bacon is a stubborn beauty that stays with you for a long time. The result – an extremely intense production – is extraordinary«. Utrechts Nieuwsblad 

“Those who love dance and the visual arts can indulge themselves in this piece. Five dancers use their bodies to paint a wildly beautiful choreography about beastliness, physicality, sensuality and aggressiveness. And all this is done with a rich variety of twists and turns, resulting in sombre contorted poses, which are at the same time very sculptural and beautiful to watch. Linning has captured this contrast, which with Bacon liked to experiment. The method of movement is highly restrained, reminiscent of the Japanese Butoh dancers, but reveals an inner explosiveness which is what makes it so exciting”. Volkskrant