BEYOND THE FRAME – Exploring 3D Suspensions

This workshop invites you to move beyond static suspensions and discover the possibilities of flow and spatial play around the bamboo. A central focus of the workshop lies in exploring how bodies can be placed and tied in relation to the bamboo in a truly three-dimensional way – not simply parallel along its length, but rotated into striking 90° angles that transform both the visual impact and the physical experience of the suspension. These off-axis placements open new dimensions, challenge balance and gravity, create sculptural lines in space, and invite a fresh dialogue between rope, bamboo, and body.

We will examine how to build and maintain such shapes, what kinds of harnesses and line placements support them, how to shift the body’s center of gravity without losing stability, and how to use the bamboo itself as an anchor point to guide or exaggerate form. Also we’ll explore how to even move into 3D from a parallel placement, how to transition smoothly out of a sculptural shape into something new, and how to make the journey between positions just as meaningful as the final form.

A demonstration will provide inspiration and highlight various ways in which the bamboo, in interaction with the body, can be viewed as a dynamic partner in the creation of images, perspectives and movements. Then it’s your turn to experiment hands-on and to test how rope, body and bamboo interact, how you can find your own pathways into and out of three-dimensional positions, and what influence different patterns and techniques have on stability and flow.