Public Movement

Falling Wall

Public Movement’s Falling Wall is choreography consisting of a wall, three performers wearing uniforms, and a short ritual. The performers stand aligned in front of the wall, which suddenly falls, menacingly, in the direction of the viewers. The synchronicity of collapse echoes the possibility of transgressing borders such as state frontiers or even the museum wall. While the highly orchestrated movements of the performers may suggest a state funeral or memorial, the destruction becomes part of the act of commemoration, contradicting the fixed form of monuments and history. Falling Wall disturbs the established order by introducing feelings of doubt and crisis.

The performative research group Public Movement explores the creation of national, social, and political identities through public choreographies. By reenacting commemorative ceremonies, formal exercises from the youth scouts, or emergency procedures, the troupe examines the social choreography of public spaces. They study and reproduce the codes and symbols of what constitutes a nation-state, engaging audiences to take a position within the geopolitics of space. Public Movement was founded in December 2006 by Omer Krieger and Dana Yahalomi, its director since 2011.

The first activation of Falling Wall took place at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art as part of Public Movement’s exhibition National Collection, curated by Ruti Direktor.