Somewhere in the Body

Lucia Joyce appears in various forms throughout James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. She is often depicted as a tempting, timid, and occasionally violent female archetype or ethereal being, as well as an elemental presence. This two screen installation features performances by dance artists Colin Dunne and Katie Vickers and focuses on Joyce's portrayal of his daughter through different characters, as well as moments where he himself makes an appearance. The biographical details layered within their characters include references to some of the limitations that Lucia faced in real life, such as the sudden end to her dance career, numerous failed relationships, her first extended stay in psychiatric care, and how her correspondence with Joyce during this period also provided inspiration for the book. Lucia was forced into psychiatric care by her brother in the early 1930s, and remained under treatment for approximately 47 years, until her death in 1982. Prior to her institutionalisation, she was a professional modern dancer in France during the 1920s. She trained with modern dance pioneers, including Margaret Morris, and toured throughout Europe with the dance troupe ‘Les Six de Rythme et Couleur’. The book's references to the ‘rainbow girls' draw inspiration from this dancing group.

The theme of doubling, which is present throughout the book, inspired the two screen presentation. Lucia's characters are often accompanied by their mirror image, and the male characters by their twin brother. At various points, Lucia's characters are linked to male figures, such as their uncle, brother, and father, who express inappropriate desires for her. Joyce also touches upon the history of dance, as well as the role of dancing women throughout the ages in the context of the male gaze. The choreography and timeline are related to specific chapters of the book in which either Lucia, James, or both appear. For instance, James occasionally appears as a devilish character named Glugg, while Lucia appears as a little cloud or the Prankquean. Despite name variations throughout the book—Lucie, Is, Issy, Isa, Iseult, Izod, Issy, Iz, Izzy, Isobel, Nuvoletta—similar scenes and characters consistently resurface under slightly different guises. Finn Fordham, a Joycean scholar, narrates the voiceover, and together with the imagery, they unveil some of the underlying narratives and energies embedded within this cryptic text.

The filming of Somewhere in the Body took place at protected historical sites and natural locations along the Costa de la Luz in Spain, which provided fantastic natural light. Lucia's name means ‘light giver', and she was named after the patron saint for the blind. James Joyce experienced eye problems throughout his career, and Lucia references this in her biography. Joyce also named Lucia after Dante's guide through the Inferno, as well as associating her with light, lightning, and electricity in the book. The performers worked in ancient ruins, a Hamman, a mine, and sandy shores along the Spanish coast. Stapleton collaborated with the German light artist Pat Kramer, who developed a series of light sculptures for select scenes based on imagery from the book, enclosing Lucia's characters within the constructed worlds of her father's writings. The colour combinations in the sculptures were developed to correspond to specific uses of colour in Finnegans Wake, such as white, which relates to sexuality, and green, symbolising incest, a recurring theme throughout the book.

In terms of choreography, the performers practiced a series of nonlinear choreographic language scores and prompts, which drew inspiration from sections and characters in the book, as well as corresponding research. At other moments, elements of these scores were integrated with movement directives created by the performers from sections of the original Finnegans Wake text. After several weeks of rehearsals in the studio, the performers performed these directives at diverse locations. Additionally, a meditative movement practice was layered with the scores, which aimed to cultivate a deeper connection to their bodies, environment, and others.

Somewhere in the Body is a stand-alone installation developed alongside a series of creative documentaries about Lucia, which Stapleton has been developing since 2014. These projects aim to challenge the accepted biographical detail of Lucia's life and consider the complexity of her mental strain. She is currently in the planning phase for a final feature-film about Lucia, based on her childhood in Italy, supported by The Arts Council Film Bursary Award. 

For more information, please visit: www.ainestapleton.com

Funding:
Funded by The Arts Council of Ireland | An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Fondation Jan Michalski, and Dublin City Council. Co-produced by Project Arts Centre and Dance Ireland. Supported by the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the Council of Europe.

Production Credits:
Writer, Director, and Producer: Áine Stapleton.
Performers: Colin Dunne, Katie Vickers.
Choreography: scored by Áine Stapleton, adapted and formed in collaboration with the performers.
Director of Photography: José Antonio Muñoz.
Editor: Mirella Nüesch.
Costume Designer: Ivan Moreno Bonica.
Light Sculptor: Pat Kramer.
Composer and Music Recording: Remi S. Langseth.
Voiceover Artists and Voice Recording: Colin Dunne, Finn Fordham (Strawhouse), Katie Vickers.
Sound Direction and Text (Excerpts from Finnegans Wake): Áine Stapleton.
Camera Assistant and Focus Puller: Goh Takahashi.
Colour Grading: José Antonio Muñoz.
VFX and additional colour: Ueli Nüesch, Brigae Haelg.
Literary advisor: Finn Fordham
Final Sound Mix and Master: Stephen Shannon.