HomeHans Karelszoon Van Dijck

Human teeth too are admirably adapted for the 

common purpose that all teeth subserve : the front 

ones are sharp, to bite up the food ; the molars 

are broad and flat, to grind it small ; and on the 

border between the two are the dog-teeth whose 

nature is intermediate between the two : and just as 

a mean shares the nature of both its extremes, so 

the dog-teeth are broad in one part and sharp in 

another. Thus the provision is similar to that of 

the other animals, except those whose teeth are 

all sharp ; but in man even these sharp teeth, in 

respect of character and number, are adapted 

chiefly for the purposes of speech, since the 

front teeth contribute a great deal to the formation 

of the sounds. 

(Aristotle)

Humans extend their body capacities with all sorts of tools. For example a car to shorten the time needed to move from one place to another. Or weapons to be stronger. Certain body-capacities might be neglected or developed less when a human relies completely/merely on these tools.

The process of de-corporating the extensions is happening in 'HUMAMMAL RECORDING #3'

'First the mouth itself must be equipped with suitable machinery for dealing with the particular food it receives.'

Canines. The process is started here with a muzzled Humammal that has gigantic steel canines. Reason why this more or less human figure seems to be stuck to the ground, trapped in limitedness and searching to extend its own possibilities.

interlude

The hypnotizing sound score is calming down for the first -and only- time during the performance. The Humammal is leaving what seems to be its restricted area. The canines get removed.

Incisors.

-Reverse of point of view- If you consider the tools as the natural body-parts that serve primary functions, one could consider the second part of the performance as a decorporation of the tools.

The Humammal starts using the canines as tools, manipulating them by hand. The cultivationprocess has started,

'In some mammals the modifications of the teeth have gone so far that some of the teeth are adapted to perform quite different functions.'

Molars

... and is continued in part three - - where opinions/emotions/consciousness are rather the motives of the individual. The tools are no longer connected to the body. They are used by the humammal. The material gets ground and prepared to swallow.

STOP

In HUMAMMAL RECORDING #3 the performance is executed in a collaboration with the Candian/ Brussels-based dancer Tawny Anderson. Based on the previous performances it was selected for the International Biennial of Contemporary Printmaking, Belgium. It was shown in the Contemporary art Museum MAMAC in Liège.

Videorecording & Post-production: Kurt Marx aka Doppler

Set-up assistant: Lieven Paelinck

Supported by: kunstencentrum BELGIË