HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE Transforms Matisse's 'The Snail' into Live Choreography at Tate Modern
HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE recently captivated audiences at Tate Modern's South Tank with an innovative performance that brought Henri Matisse's iconic artwork, 'The Snail,' to life. Through the strategic use of pleated fabrics and interactive choreography, the event transformed passive viewership into an engaging, participatory experience. Dancers, clad in garments mirroring Matisse's cut-out shapes, moved dynamically across the space, creating a fluid dialogue between visual art and live performance. The unique setup encouraged individual audience members to become integral to the unfolding artistic expression, challenging traditional boundaries of theatrical presentation.
The immersive spectacle, held on September 16, 2026, as the second installment of HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE's 'OPEN STUDIO,' drew spectators into a world where art extended beyond the canvas. Upon entering the South Tank, guests found themselves within an environment designed for interaction: a soft, felt-covered floor, circular benches lining concrete walls, and scattered individual seating. A large, pleated textile, inspired by 'The Snail,' lay across the floor, hinting at the artistic transformation to come. Performers then gradually uncovered additional layers of clothing from beneath the felt surface.
A core element of the evening was 'One One One,' an interactive format conceived by Ioannis Mandafounis. Dancers approached individual audience members, inviting them to participate in personalized choreographic sessions. These intimate exchanges relied on sustained eye contact, allowing the dancer to spontaneously create movements in response to the individual's presence. Meanwhile, other attendees observed these unique encounters, witnessing a series of miniature, evolving performances unfold across the vast room.
As the event progressed, performers don additional garments retrieved from beneath the felt. These pleated costumes, directly replicating the geometric forms of Matisse's 'The Snail,' moved with the dancers, transforming static paper cut-outs into three-dimensional, animated figures. The design team's vision was to imbue each paper shape with life, utilizing HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE's signature pleating technique to give Matisse's designs a new dimension of movement. Throughout the performance, dancers frequently changed outfits, leaving discarded pieces across the stage, reminiscent of the loose paper scraps in Matisse's own studio, thus gradually dispersing the artwork's essence throughout the space rather than confining it to a central focal point.
The architectural layout of the Tate Modern's South Tank proved ideal for this dynamic presentation. Its expansive concrete interior and circular perimeter provided a versatile arena, while the seating arrangement intentionally integrated the audience within the performance area. This spatial design allowed dancers to weave among seated guests, occupying various parts of the room, ensuring that attention constantly shifted. An observer could instantaneously transition into the focal point of a dance, highlighting the fluid nature of participation.
Mandafounis's 'One One One' method thrived in this environment. It challenged dancers to interpret the nuanced sensations derived from an audience member's presence into expressive movements, resulting in each interaction possessing a distinct rhythm and duration. The mere presence of a spectator directly influenced the unfolding artistic narrative. Concurrently, those seated along the outer rim witnessed a captivating array of smaller, independent performances, each briefly establishing its own temporary center of attention.
Towards the culmination of the event, the nature of the interaction underwent another transformation. A lone performer appeared, followed by others who collectively peeled back the felt at the Tank's center. Beneath it lay a meticulously reconstructed, full-scale rendition of 'The Snail,' meticulously assembled from the pleated garments. Each piece was precisely cut to mirror the geometry of Matisse's original composition. Dancers then gathered around this recreated masterpiece, continuing their movements as the previously fragmented artwork reintegrated into a cohesive image.
For the majority of the performance, Matisse's artistic vision manifested through human interaction, with its abstract forms bending around bodies and navigating the exhibition space. In the final segment, however, these garments returned to the floor, once again forming a static image. The audience's role also evolved within this cycle. Initially, individual spectators could directly influence the choreography; by the end, everyone shared a unified view of the reconstituted artwork. This 'OPEN STUDIO' masterfully integrated the transition between active participation and collective observation as a fundamental aspect of the entire artistic experience.