The Beauty of the Gesture
As an artist-in-residence at the University of Montpellier, Leonardo Montecchia observes our everyday movements. An interview with a unique observer of the body in motion.
"I have a hard time with the word 'choreographer, '" he warns. "I see myself more as a thinker of the body—a body in relation to its environment."
This reluctance to be confined—even by a definition—is undoubtedly what made Leonardo Montecchia the eternal traveler who lived on three continents before the age of 30, roaming the streets of London, Buenos Aires, New York, and Paris. And more than just a dancer or a choreographer, he is a creator dedicated to movement…
In Search of the Pointless Gesture
One day in 2001, Leonardo“ended up in Montpellier.” He’s still there, sometimes a little surprised that he hasn’t left yet. As an artist-in-residence at the University of Montpellier through April, he’s here to do what he loves: explore new paths in this“city within a city,” home to 45,000 students and 4,500 staff members.
For several months, Leonardo and his performers will live among the inhabitants of this university world: rubbing shoulders with them, observing them, and studying them.“To examine everyday gestures,” he explains, “those of students, teachers, researchers, and staff—gestures of knowledge transfer, of professional practice, but also of reflection, of impatience…”
What he specifically seeks out in lecture halls, labs, classrooms, and libraries is the useless gesture. A futility that he places, from the outset, within the realm of life itself—of the inestimable.
In today’s hyper-productive society, what place is there for actions that “serve no purpose”? In the realm of learning, what space is there for the useless? Is it the space of inaction? Or of reflection?
A Different Perspective on Her Daily Life
Leonardo is right at home in the academic world. There, he pursues his ongoing exploration of contemporary art that draws inspiration from everyday life and speaks to everyone. His quest for“another possible body: a body to be imagined. Art helps us see reality in a new light. It helps us build a different world.”
A project that is particularly well-suited to a university setting:“This is where we shape the future! The university is, at its core, an artistic space: a place of learning and research, but also of questioning and raising awareness. It is a space for creation, deeply connected to the imagination.”
The artist-in-residence program will culminate in April with a performance open to all. A choreographed work featuring five performers and divided into several walk-through segments, where students, staff, and visitors to the university will be led from place to place across multipleUM campuses.“The artist-in-residence program invites everyone to take a fresh look at their daily lives. It should also allow the public to step into the heart of the university and discover it for what it is: a space open to the world and to society,” explains Marta Cases Bobadilla of the Art & Culture Department.