Lyn Bentschik on presence and vulnerability

On a rainy autumn day, Lyn tells me what it means to create art with your own body over oat cappuccino and overnight oats. We sit in a quiet courtyard, between us a red metal table that rattles when we kick it with our legs. "During my dance studies, I trained my body in a relatively classical way as an instrument for movement and choreography. That's one approach to using the body to create art through dance. Nowadays, I would take a much broader view," says Lyn.

Lyn studied contemporary dance performance in Stockholm and then choreography at the ZHdK, but at some point moved on from dance to performance. These performances break with the traditional understanding of art in that they do not necessarily involve a predetermined sequence of dance steps on a stage, but convey a message about freer and more everyday movements, sometimes even about the absence of movement. At Jungkunst 2023, Lyn presented herself in a glass box wearing different costumes to draw attention to the numerous roles we all take on every day and to highlight the judgements associated with this external presentation.

Lyn has become particularly well known for her long-term performances with the world-famous artist Marina Abramović, some of which last several days and are physically and emotionally demanding. In these and Lyn's own works, silent presence is part of the performativity: being present with oneself and with everything that is. Listening. This is not easy and not always pleasant. Without moving much externally, but in intense contact with what is moving internally – this is how Lyn creates art with the body: "I began to understand that it's not about what you do, but rather how you do it. How you are in contact with yourself and manage to be in contact with others in this contact with yourself."

The audience senses a vulnerability when watching this process on stage. In a society where there is so little room for vulnerability, many are attracted to it, says Lyn. Performance creates a context in which one can dare to be vulnerable together with others. Being present on site is a confrontational experience for the audience. What they are watching looks back at them: "I always work with the material that the audience gives me back. I feel the people." Lyn has found that the audience wants this kind of relationship. They have a need to be seen. At the same time, this confrontation can give rise to unpleasant feelings, for example when they feel they simply cannot escape it: "Sometimes people are terribly stressed and really upset." Lyn prefers it when people stay and expose themselves to their unpleasant feelings, lingering with them. "You then go through an evolution together, and it's really wonderful when someone takes the time to do that."

The article appeared in December 2024 in the print edition of the cultural magazine Coucou.

Text: Lynn Vellacott studies history and often thinks about other things too. Photo: Lea Reutimann is an advertising photographer from Winterthur who loves to realise photographic projects with artists between her day jobs.