'Human writes'

William Forsythe and his dancers have set themselves the task of copying out excerpts from the United Nation's General Declaration of Human Rights with pieces of coal on paper. That is easier said than done. Hindered by Sisyphus-like self-defeating tactics, but aided by willing spectators, their attempts to write resemble collective masochism, a Hieronymus Bosch depiction of hell or an all-join-in spectacular where you get dirty following absurd rules. With "Human Writes" William Forsythe is being openly political as the creator of a performance commenting on the vulnerability of the human condition. He reconstructs the continuing difficulty in ensuring basic human rights on a physical and graphic level and, by inviting performer-audience co-operation, encourages both to reflect on the role of art in the creation of a "culture of human rights". The four hour-long piece, during which visitors may come and go at will, is the latest in a series of Forsythe's works inspired by visual arts and approaches to space in particular. It is no accident that this first piece created in conjunction with the Zurich Schouspielhaus is a performance-installation, inspired by the Schiffbou-Halle location in Zurich. The dancers' actions may not go beyond simple improvisational concepts, but Forsythe's political message is clear and committed: getting moving is not just a matter of cultural Mites and privileged audiences.