acut:
the other side of the limit
Artists and writers alys longley (New Zealand) and Francisco González Castro (Chile) have been working together on creative-media research methodologies since 2021. Their research project Acut: The Other Side of the Limit covers performance art, creative writing, philosophy, poetics, installation, drawing and dance. Through this project they produce books, performances, scholarly writing and creative experiments aimed at other artists, writers, philosophers, performers, art lovers and art students.
The project focuses on research from a south-south perspective; it considers the geopolitical themes of the New Zealand and Chilean contexts. Working in both English and Spanish, alys and Francisco are interested in the cross-border similarities and limits of their geographic circumstances, languages, vocabularies and creative communities.
In 2023, they produced an installation for the Modes of Capture Symposium in Ireland, entitled In Your Own Time: Exploring Proliferation and Difference, South to South and Beyond, in Performance Research. They have also published several articles about their creative research approach, including A Manifesto of Shambolic Form, written for Knowledge Cultures.
alys and Francisco work together on projects and challenge each other to work in spaces outside the silos of their familiar disciplines. They have developed processes, experiences and experiments based on friendship, irreverence and trust. They have weekly online meetings and occasional in-person residencies in specific locations. In 2024, they have been invited to residencies and project showings through Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Movement Research at the Judson Church NYC, and a creative residency with DotDot creative studio, NYC.
Acut: The Other Side of the Limit is supported by Creative NZ Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa.