Smell of Cement

Smell of Cement puts us right in the middle of a construction site, full of noise, dust and sweat: Eman Hussein weaves together repetitive hammering, lifting and pulling into a hypnotic choreography on a scaffolding that honours the supposedly resilient, working bodies in all their ambivalence. Juxtaposing mechanical precision and human fragility, she shows that it is not only our immediate surroundings that constantly inscribe themselves into our body’s memory, but also the emotional and physical stress caused by precarious conditions of employment. This solo dance piece bears witness to Eman Hussein’s passion for the often-overlooked practices of movement outside the art and dance worlds. In the form of longer-term research through workshops, the choreographer continues to delve deep into the real working life of manual labourers and research the relationship between movement, work and the body.

In addition to the performance, two dance films Belia (2021) and A Skewed Conversation (2019) by Eman Hussein will allow us to explore the city of Cairo.  

Eman Hussein lives in Zurich and is a dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker. Her artistic works are characterized by the combination of the everyday movements of workers with contemporary dance and other art forms. A major focus of her work is to collaborate with people outside traditional art institutions, especially artisans and workers, with whom she lives and works intermittently to capture their movements in their respective work environments.

Youssra El Hawary is an independent composer, singer-songwriter, sound designer, accordionist, and performer from Cairo, Egypt. Her artistic career started in theatre as a vocal performer and actress. In 2011, she started her own musical project as an accordionist and songwriter. In recent years, Youssra El Hawary has expanded her work to include field recording and sound design and, in addition to working on her own music compositions, is active in the fields of film, performance, and installation.