The Year of Shadow
2022
Where is your shadow's edge? What darkness within yourself do you not dare to gaze upon? And what might your shadow bring you?
The Year of Shadow was a rich, dark year-long programme and community in which we explored our shadow sides together. Every month, we gathered in our studio in Amsterdam West.
What is The Year of Shadow?
We created this programme for anyone who felt ready to truly look at themselves and embrace who they are, in all their gruesome beauty. Across 9 sessions, participants embraced their own darkness and, alongside fellow participants, entered into dialogue with their shadow side—guided by the arts.
We organized a shadow dinner, a night walk along the rough edges of the city, a conversation with our shadow side, and guided theatrical experiences that lead us deeper into our subconscious. Participants were confrontated with themselves. Each month, a different artist guided the session as we examined our own darkness as well as the shadowy tendencies in our world and history.
The 7 deadly sins (pride, lust, gluttony, greed, envy, revenge, and sloth) served as our guides throughout this programme, curated by Simomo Bouj, OTION, Maureen de Jong, and Marte Boneschansker. There was room for 60 participants to meet their shadow?
"Our shadow sides often remain in the shadows—unsaid and hidden—even though that is precisely where we can learn and grow. I believe that opening up conversations around sensitive topics brings empathy and healing. Listening to the stories of people who have faced and investigated their shadow side invites you to explore your own darkness. Only when you look something in the eye can you move through it."
— Marte
The Sessions
Session 1: Pride
Pride comes before a fall, as the saying goes—but is that really true? In these times, aren't we pushed to go for the biggest, best, and highest achievable outcome? To bluff our way inside, to fake it 'til we make it? In this first session, we explored the shadow side of pride, arrogance, and pretense.
Session 2: Gluttony
In this second session, we investigated our gluttonous tendencies. La grande bouffe, eating until we are full and far beyond, indulging in sweet and salt. In a gluttonous opening dinner, we tasted the shadow side of our mouths and stomachs. What is your relationship with food, indulgence, and punishment?
Session 3: Greed
More, more, more. Standing alongside Pride and Gluttony is their greedy sibling, Greed. For greed, there is never enough. What does the magpie inside us all bring? Who doesn't like to surround themselves with beauty and abundance? In a neoliberal world, who can truly claim to be free of greed? In this third session, we examined what always aiming for our own gain actually costs us.
Session 4: Lust
Ooh la la, lust. You know you want it. Often. Much. And that is precisely the shadow side of lust: can we still exist without it? Do we feel human without desire, or is it the hornyer, the better? Can lust also keep us in a stranglehold? During this fourth session, we indulged in our sensual fantasies. We also experienced a first work-in-progress test of Marte’s new performance SHADOW.
Session 5: Envy
The possessive green monster. They have something you don't! A terrible shadow we prefer not to admit to others. But is there strength in envy too? Can envy serve as a healthy warning sign? What does envy bring us? In session five, we explored how to harness the energy behind envy as a personal compass. Marte will also presented a second work-in-progress test of SHADOW.
Session 6: Performance SHADOW
Included in The Year of Shadow was a ticket to the performance SHADOW. As a group, we paid an exclusive visit to SHADOW during session six and entered into conversation about our own shadow sides.
Session 7: Revenge
Oof, revenge. The a thousand and one ways you could get back at someone for what was done to you. In this seventh session, we explored different forms of revenge and how they shape our (personal) histories. Can you take revenge without hurting the other? We also reflected on the performance SHADOW.
Session 8: Sloth
Winter was approaching, and we retreated. Sloth is viewed as a sin in our society, but looking at the record number of burnouts in recent years, perhaps we could all use a little more laziness. Lean back: during this eighth session, we sunk into a lazy, deep state of relaxation.
Session 9: Closing
During the ninth and final session of the year, we concluded our conversation with our shadow (for now). Through shadow work, we investigated what remains hidden within us: in an intimate mirror session with ourselves, we descended into our subconscious. Without shadow, there is no light.
The Curators
Together with guest curators Simomo Bouj, OTION, and Maureen de Jong, Marte curated a rich and dark programme centered around everything that cannot bear the light of day.
Maureen de Jong: Culinary artist and founder of het Kleinkookbedrijf. She creates interactive food installations, taste experiences, and unique dinners, gathering stories as she cooks. Maureen designed the grief dinner for Marte’s performance ROUW (GRIEF, 2022). For The Year of Shadow, she designed a shadow dinner and helped shape a sensory ritual for the performance SHADOW.
Simomo Bouj: Movement director, dancer, and a pluralist in everything they do, moving fluidly between art worlds as a space-activator. Simomo is also assistant director at No Limit’s! Art Castle—a gallery at Sexyland World showcasing artists who fall outside established art-world frameworks, such as neurodiverse, queer, or activist artists. Additionally, Simomo collaborated on the physical scenography and audience prompts for SHADOW.
Guillermo Blinker (OTION): Master of Sceneries, performer/maker, choreographer, producer, and musician. He performs mainly solo, using a loop station to build intricately layered compositions and soundscapes from his own voice. His work is spiritual, political, futuristic, universal, and above all, deeply personal. He lead a session during The Year of Shadow and was also involved as a composer and musician for SHADOW.
Testimonials
What past participants said:
"A wonderful and highly accessible way to dive deeper into the theme." – participant of The Year of Desire
"The sessions often inspired, amazed, touched, and/or made me feel alive." – participant of The Year of Desire
"It gives direction, opens trapdoors, and helps you get to know yourself (better) regarding this subject matter." – participant of The Year of Grief