Free Public Event at 7AM & 6PM on Saturday, September 11, 2021
On September 11, 2021, Eiko Otake will perform at 7AM and 6PM at Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City by the Hudson River, directly west of where the Twin Towers once stood. Marking 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, this free public event is presented in partnership with NYU Skirball, Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
Eiko & Koma were artists-in-residence in the North Tower throughout the year 2000. In 2002, on this very plaza, they premiered Offering: A Ritual of Mourning with David Krakauer, an internationally-acclaimed clarinetist/composer. Offering was produced and presented by Dancing in the Streets with free admission in parks throughout Manhattan. Eiko & Koma later performed Offering in many cities around the world.
Created specifically for this occasion and this site, Eiko’s new piece, Slow Turn, centers on a monologue of her personal memories of that day and its aftermath. She has invited David Krakauer to perform short solo pieces to bookend her monologue, with Iris McCloughan as a dramaturg.
Eiko’s early morning performance starts at 7AM where the sun reaches the plaza. The second performance, which starts at 6PM, will end before the sun sets on the Hudson River.
“How each of us remembers or learns from other people’s memories 20 years ago will determine how we, collectively and individually, will live in our future with the knowledge of history and our own thoughts, as well as how we can inform those who weren’t born yet or were too young to remember what happened,” said Eiko Otake.
“As we now mark 20 years since the September 11th attacks we’re honored to welcome Eiko Otake back to Battery Park City to reflect on an event that forever impacted downtown and the lives of the people who call it home,” said BPCA President & CEO B.J. Jones. “We thank our partners at NYU Skirball and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for delivering these moving and inclusive performances on an anniversary that brings with it the enormity of emotion that stems from both loss and resilience on this solemn day.
“As the site of our offices and studio programs for artists until 2001, the Twin Towers are deeply intertwined with the history of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). Twenty years after the devastating attacks of 9/11, we will always remember those who perished that day, including Michael Richards, an LMCC artist-in-residence at work in Tower One whose prescient work continues to resonate to this day,” said Diego S. Segalini, Executive Director, Finance & Administration, LMCC.
“Eiko Otake’s Slow Turn captures with the deepest care and solemnity the arc of a day that forever changed our lives. Weaving the necessity of memory with narrative and responsibility, it evokes a spirit of resiliency emerging from loss,” said Lili Chopra, Executive Director, Artistic Programs, LMCC.
A ticketed reservation is strongly advised. Walk-ups will receive a headset if available. Read more about Eiko Otake: Slow Turn here.
About Eiko Otake:
Born and raised in Japan and a resident of New York since 1976, Eiko Otake is a movement–based, interdisciplinary artist with a history of working for forty years as Eiko & Koma. Starting with the World Trade Center in 2000, LMCC offered many residencies to both Eiko & Koma and Eiko herself. Three consecutive River To River Festivals (2014-2016) presented EIko’s first independent work Two Women; her solo works A Body in a Station, A Body on Wall Street, and A Body on Governors Island; the video installation A Body with Water; the experimental “Talking Duets” with Emmanuelle Huynh and Okwui Okpokwasili. These Duets, and conversations with Sam Miller, led Eiko to develop her extensive Duet Project (2017-), in which she engages with artists of varied backgrounds and practices. Duet Project will have its New York premiere at NYU Skirball in April 2022. For more info visit: www.eikootake.org
About David Krakauer
Grammy nominated soloist, band leader and composer David Krakauer has been praised internationally as a key innovator in modern klezmer as well as a major voice in classical music. Krakauer frequently appears with the world’s finest orchestras, quartets and ensembles, such as Orchestre de Lyon, the Seattle Symphony, Kronos Quartet, and Tokyo Quartet. Krakauer’s discography includes The Twelve Tribes (Label Bleu), designated jazz album of the year/2001 in Germany, and The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (Osvaldo Golijov and the Kronos Quartet/Nonesuch). In 2002 Krakauer composed and performed live for Eiko & Koma’s Offering. More info visit: www.davidkrakauer.com
About NYU Skirball:
Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYU Skirball is one of New York City’s major presenters of international work, and has been the premier venue for cultural and performing arts events in lower Manhattan since 2003. NYU Skirball provides a home for internationally renowned artists, innovators and thinkers. NYU Skirball hosts over 300 events annually, from re-inventions of the classics to cutting-edge premieres, in genres ranging from dance, theater and performance arts to comedy, music and film. For more info visit: nyuskirball.org
About Lower Manhattan Cultural Council:
Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects and makes space for artists and community.
LMCC Serves Artists through:
- Residencies that enable artists to experiment and develop their work and ideas, with professional development, financial training and networking opportunities
- Grant funding to artists that support local/neighborhood projects
- Presentation opportunities that allow artists to share their work and creative process with the public
LMCC Serves Community through:
Since 1973, LMCC has been the quiet champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. For more info: LMCC.net
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