These are photos from a performance piece titled 'Returning where a dancer experiences the struggle, joy, and spiritual metamorphosis of unzipping his second skin to see, carry and sense himself from the outside. 

This was a 50/50 collaboration between amazing choreographer, performer and dancer; Nitsan Margaliot and myself (Manuela Benaim) a textile and silicone making artist. 

This piece brought to life the concept behind the "Second Skin Series" I made the year before, and it was the most challenging and rewarding piece from this collection.  The textile art consists of a silicone layer that captures Nitsan's skin detail and shape, and painted to match the models body.  Nitsan and I worked together in the making of the suit, having multiple studio visits where I learnt more about his body and how to create his second skin version.  I had to design ways in which Nitsan could come in and of his silicone skin easily and for it to be both flexible and strong to endure the performance.  In the process of the making, he worked on the choreography of performance.  This performance consisted of a series of movements in which the dancer was coming in and out of his skin and experiencing what that looks like, phisically, metaphorically and emotionally. That explains the title of the collaboration. 

'Returning' premiered at the Frankfurt LAB, Germany in November 2019.  

Photographer: De-Da Productions.

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Manuela Benaim