Originally commissioned by the Sónar Festival Barcelona and CTM Berlin, Performance Space presents the official U.S. premiere of CORTEX, directed, choreographed, and performed by Kianí Del Valle and her interdisciplinary movement ensemble, KDV Performance Group. Making its New York debut, this piece collaborates with the creative studio Hamill Industries for visual and lighting design, and features an original live score by experimental club producer and DJ, Tayhana, seamlessly integrating dance, music, and visual effects.
 

CORTEX is a semi-narrative, four-act performance that explores the profound implications of the human brain in the quest for existence beyond morality. Each act examines various physiological states emerging from the depths of the grieving process. Drawing on extensive research into the remarkable resilience of the human brain—particularly the functions of gamma waves and the temporal lobe, which sustain consciousness even amid bodily decline—this work delves into the liminal realms of life and death, solitude and connection.
 

By exploring movement as a medium for fluid, equitable collaboration, each performer’s unique history and interpretation of death and grief enrich the overall piece, cultivating a space where individual and communal expression converge. The characters in this work, including Del Valle as a performer, create movement-based narratives prompted by sound to escape existential limbo—a temporary halt in their physical, psychological, and psychic journeys where they are stuck in time, restlessly questioning their psychological state. Breaking free from these constraints is essential to finding others; only then can they gain the energy to continue their respective journeys and unlock the simple yet profound aspects of existence.