Artist In Residence: Aaricia Ponnet
Bio
Aaricia Ponnet (°1992) is a young artist, researcher, and dancer with a strong connection to Indian art forms and languages. She earned her PhD on Hindi language acquisition in 2023 and now works as an independent artist. Together with Sarita Rav, she co-founded the collective BO-LA, where she explores the intersections between language, dance, and art. Aaricia aims to establish her Kathak dance practice in Belgium while pushing the boundaries of her style. She has performed on both large and small stages in Flanders and abroad, and she is celebrated for her expressive style. This residency is part of her grant for emerging talent under the “Professional Arts: Emerging Talent Grant (Arts Decree 2021).”
The Residency: The Kinetic Creation of Meaning (2025)
As a scientist and linguist, Aaricia investigates the tension between our system of natural language and the pragmatic expressions of human behavior. Aesthetic forms such as dance and music exist within this interplay: while they are not full-fledged natural languages, they transcend the purely pragmatic and therefore exhibit many parallels with language. Beyond references to music as a “universal language,” Aaricia observes that choreographers increasingly describe their work in terms of their unique “dance language.” She seeks to explore whether it is possible to develop a methodology to examine the extent to which references to dance surpass mere metaphor.
As an artist, she aims to investigate whether the principles of language, a universal human trait, can assist in making her culturally specific dance style (Indian dance) more accessible. She also explores whether it is possible to create tools or codes that can help her audience better understand her dance style.
Assistance: Tristan Visser
Musician and explorer Tristan Visser from the Netherlands plays with the boundary between sound and music. The relationship between people and the sea is one of the key themes in his projects. He presents his work through audiovisual productions, live performances, and sound installations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the Academy for Pop Culture in Leeuwarden.
As the lead guitarist for the German band Majesty, he played on multiple albums and toured across Europe. As a solo artist, he has composed music for various documentaries and created soundscapes for museums, including Louis Apol on Nova Zembla for Panorama Mesdag in The Hague, Water Panorama: Kerend Tij for Sense of Place, and Blood, Sweat & Whale Oil for the Frisian Maritime Museum in Sneek.
Partners
Individuele kunstenaarsbeurs opkomend talen (Departement Cultuur Jeugd en Media – kunstendecreet)
Subsidie CODE DANS+ (Danspunt, amateurkunstendecreet)
Universiteit Gent (IPEM & XRHIL)
