When Karel van Laere attended a six-hour surgery in a hospital, he saw surgeons using very precise laparoscopic instruments. In the heat of the moment, they made vital decisions hanging above the body, talking as they determined how much flesh to cut away. This improvisation continued to haunt the artist until he found a way to integrate it into his work.

For this, he interviewed professionals about improvisation. Besides surgeons, he also spoke to a deep-sea diver, a police officer and a jazz pianist, to find out what role improvisation plays in their work. This resulted in the multimedia sound installation and performance Reach, in which a team of performers work live with laparoscopic instruments to make excerpts from the interviews audible. They too improvise with their instruments to convey sound.

On Sunday afternoon 17 December, during our opening weekend, Karel van Laere's performance can be seen at MU, at 15:30 and again at 16:30. Not 6 hours long, but 15 to 20 minutes and free to visit.

photo's by Alex Heuvink