Amani Alquatrani Gowdet, Amani Alquatrani Gowdet: Momentum (2025)

Momentum has come to an end.

An end of actions in an around Arena at Dia Beacon.

And end – for now – of searching for ways to activate Arena and thereby inviting others to

do the same, or simply observe the interactions unfold.

While I in the Berlin studio observed observing visitors in Beacon on the live-projection on

the wall, I feel conflictedly connected to them. I see them entering the space at Dia,

watching the performances, staying for a while and leaving the frame on the wall in the

studio. They can not see me.

My gaze keeps staying on the visitors.

I want to know how they feel – looking for expressions in their faces.

They and Wolfgang and Mahalchick and Rachel and Sara are all on the same flat wall.

The visitors are part of the art. I wonder if they feel as much as part of Momentum as I

perceive them to be.

They seem to be more loose over there, the ones on the wall.

They seem to have more space. They seem to have more anonymity, more distance, more

distractions, higher ceilings… than us.

More distance to the artists present and more boundaries surrounding themselves.

The air in our space is sharp, but boundaries between artists and visitors become more

blurred.

Karolyna’s and Sofia’s concentrated energies spill onto the visitors – almost

paralyzing them.

Momentum’s boundary-melting and spiraling nature manifests itself here in a very

condensed way. The physical closeness and high levels of concentration of everyone

multiply and fill up every inch of the room. The conscious movements and posture of

Karolyna seem to infiltrate everyone else’s movements in the room. Every move has

significance – Peter’s, Karolyna’s, Sofia’s, Johanna’s, Cristina’s, Ma’s, mine…

Following Karolyna’s body and Sofia’s lines, creates a certain pace in which we, too, now

move and feel.

It is a vortex one can not flee – making it impossible for the visitors to be passive – to be

just an observer.

Seeing Sofia’s eyes cling to Wolfgang’s body on the wall and Karolyna searching with her

hands – it feels like longing. Longing for what’s behind the wall.

A change in tempo and intensity of Karolyna’s dance seems to be reflected and translated

into the sound coming live from Beacon. But they can not see her right now, she is not in

the streaming frame. She is dancing in front of the wall with the projection, faster and

larger.

There is a dynamic between disconnection and connection, that we can feel. I’m thinking

of problems of alienation we face in our screen-heavy times while I watch Karolyna

and Sofia being connected and disconnected to the other Momentums in Beacon. In this

contrast, they are showing possibilities of reconnecting.

Momentum is riddled with contradictions.

Sharp lines – blurred borders

Connection – disconnection

Surrender – resistance

To me, that’s how Momentum feels – devotion to the contrasts that surround us currently –

moving towards simultaneities, away from linearities.