Linder & Semler have worked in numerous productions together in everything from performing arts, musicals to art films and music videos, both behind and in front of the camera. They are now in their first year of starting up a choreographic work and establishing themselves as an artistic duo.
Erwin Semler is educated at the ballet academy in Gothenburg and has over the past 12 years developed into a multi-professional artist who works with both film, dance and theater Previous work experience includes among others West Side Story (Norway), several artists and After Dark. Within the performing arts he has collaborated with companies and choreographers such as Peter Svenzon, Christina Tingskog, Sirrencrossing (England), Framework Dancing Art. Furthermore, he has choreographed for galas, music videos, TV and film. In film he has worked as a director and cinematographer for Skånesdansteater, Regionteater väst, Art of Spectra, John-Paul Zaccarini to name a few.
Semler has co-created award-winning art films in the USA, Japan and Europe.
Semler draws inspiration from his Latin American ancestry and explores culture, philosophy and traditions from different parts of the world. In dance, Semler works with improvisation techniques and identity creation.
His artistic film practice centres diverse backgrounds and identity in the cast is important. Different minority groups getting a safe platform and being able to express themselves freely are of utmost importance in Semler’s work.
Pontus Linder is a dance artist based in Finland and Sweden. He has harnessed a lot of his dancing skills, artistic expression, and cultural engagement from the hip hop scene. Additionally, he also has a bachelor’s degree in art and pedagogy from University of Dance and Circus (DOCH), Stockholm.
His current independent dance practice is focused on exploring contemporary dance, breaking and hip hop within a performance art context – often employing elements of physical theater and social commentary. Furthermore, it revolves around community-engaging and interactive art, in his projects there is often local anchoring, interviews, surveys and comments on social phenomena as the basis for the artistic exploration. Linder has worked with companies/institutions such as Art of spectra(Sweden), Room 2 maneuver(Scotland), Taikabox(Finland), Pottporus(Germany), Dance4(England), Julian Owusu w/working group and Nordkonst(Nord). In the past year, he worked as an actor in the Finnish TV series Ride-out and toured in western Sweden with the dance-theater performance “of Monsters and Monsters”.
https://pontuslinder.wordpress.com
WHAT DOES THE SITE RESIDENCY ENABLE YOU TO DO?
As a newly established artistic duo, we are in need of research based residencies, networking and mentoring to develop our emerging art practice. SITE gives us these opportunities and allows us to continue to grow both professionally and artistically.
We look forward to the network possibilities and are excited to grow together with other participants of the SITE residency.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT?
Technically our artistic research right now revolves around finding new ways to combine video art and dance. The techniques we aim to develop are centered around projections, live feeds, edits mixed with live and recorded movement. The main artistic traits in our practice are themes like perspective, identity, norm-criticism, inclusivity and community building.
In addition to the SITE residency we are during 2023 doing collaborations with Vara konserthus and Pohjanmaa Tanssii in Vasa, at this stage we are in the process of doing pre-studies and research for upcoming productions in 2024.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO FURTHER DEVELOP DURING YOUR RESIDENCY AT SITE?
We both have quite extensive experiences when it comes to working professionally within contemporary and hip hop dance, theater, community work and film.
We aim to do some inventory of our experiences and formulate working methods based on them. Our goal is to come out on the other side of the residency as a more refined duo. Research, networking, getting mentored, learning and listening culminating into a series of new projects, e.g. stage productions, installations and art videos.