Photo: Vanessa Fortin
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Schlaraffenland [Cockaigne]
Yule Burlefinger
An improbable idea, a delusional dream, a utopic exile — Schlaraffenland [Cockaigne] is an embodied research piece on the duality of desire and the crevices of the human mind.
Being caught in notions of “not enough” and “too much”, a myriad of gestures explores the delicate lines between lust and longing, insanity and divinity, sweetness and suffering. The obvious and subtle contrasts raise a multitude of questions: What if dreams are not sanctuaries but silos? What if we are prisoners in our imagination? When does delight turn into disgust, dissipation into destruction? And: When something is digested, does it disappear?
Gazing at the brink of madness, Schlaraffenland [Cockaigne] tells a story of infinite hunger, insatiable desire, and a battle against the body that is, ultimately, a battle against the mind. Having healed from a complex mix of anorexia and bulimia, Yule uses her lived experience to portray a larger picture of a society that is eating itself — a land of plenty where creativity is conditioned, suffering sugar-coated, and spirit starved.
the promise of a paradise,
or
its parody?
the debauchery of our demons,
or
their dance?
the darkness of desire,
or
its depth?
_ ARTISTIC STATEMENT
_ BIOGRAPHY
Yule Burlefinger is a German interdisciplinary artist, cultural meditator, and truth-seeker. She perceives art as a way of being in this world; her artistic practice is driven by a sense of wonder, a profound desire to challenge binary perspectives, a willingness to dream that which seems impossible, and an urge to explore that which is unknown.
Inspired by the imprints of intensity and intimacy, Yule uses her body and her lived experiences as vessels for creative expression. Oscillating between poetry, photography, somatic movement, and performance art, she plays with the in-between spaces to disrupt notions of reality and identity, linking them to the poetic and political aspects of bodies.
Being a nomad at heart, Yule has lived in many countries. Her works have been presented in Rwanda, Kenya, Germany, Uganda, and Quebec. Currently, she lives and creates in Montreal.