Inbal Ben Haim (2021 Laureate) at the Théâtre de Rungis 

Through the art of knitting, aerial suspension meets threads of cotton. It speaks of destruction and collective reconstruction — an artistic metaphor for what human societies are experiencing today.

To remember the impermanence of all things — Anitya — is one of the founding principles of Buddhism. For Inbal Ben Haïm, this notion, which resonates deeply with the chaos of our times, is an invitation not to surrender to despair. After every act of destruction, there lies the promise of renewal. This is what she seeks to bring to life, in close complicity with the audience, through a performance that bridges circus and visual art — where aerial suspension intertwines with the practice of weaving. A thousand metres of tangled thread form a scenography that vibrates through space. At once organic and tactile, this sculpture — animated by the artist’s moving body — vanishes before our eyes and between our hands. It leaves behind an emptiness we must fill together. The aesthetic process engages us both physically and emotionally. Together, we form a collective body, accomplishing an act greater than ourselves. This “solo for many” becomes a powerful revelation of the human soul’s creative force.