Book Promotion – From Act to Acting: Jan Fabre’s Guidelines for the Performer of the 21st Century

Promotion of the book – From Act to Acting: Jan Fabre’s Guidelines for the Performer of the 21st Century, by Jan Fabre and Luk Van den Dries, published by the Belgrade Dance Institute, was held on March 27, 2024., at the Ceremonial Hall of the School of Engineering Management.

Jan Fabre, a multidisciplinary artist from Belgium, one of the most innovative and versatile figures of the contemporary art scene, and during March he is a visiting professor at the Belgrade Dance Institute. Over the past 30 years, he has produced works as a theatrical creator, author, and visual artist. Jan Fabre is known for expanding the horizons of every genre to which he applies his artistic vision.

The ceremony began with a surprise performance by actor Slobodan Beštić, and the audience was addressed by Dean Prof. Dr. Vladimir Tomašević, Prof. Dr. Snežana Arnautović Stjepanović, Vice Dean of the Belgrade Dance Institute, MSc Jelena Ilić, translator of the book into Serbian, and Jan Fabre, author. Ivana Milenović Popović, doctoral student and actress of the DAH Theater, read a world message on the occasion of World Theater Day.

Nela Antonović, the founder of the Mimart Theater, presented Jan Fabre with a Special Award for the achieved results of a high professional level for his contribution to the culture of the Republic of Serbia, awarded by the Association of Professional Ballet Dancers, Choreographers and Ballet Educators of Serbia. Fabre thanked and presented the prize to his playwright Miet Martens, with whom he has been collaborating for more than 40 years.

Fabre has been writing his own plays since 1975, although they were first performed in 1989. His texts constitute an exceptional collection of miniatures with a very open style of writing and reflect Fabre’s concept of theater as a comprehensive art form in which dialogue functions alongside other elements such as dance, music, opera, performance, and improvisation.

Jan Fabre’s works have been exhibited at major international exhibitions and museums, including the Venice Biennale, Documenta in Kassel, the Sao Paulo Biennale, the Louvre, and the Hermitage.

Photo: Belkisa Beka Abdulović