SUTRA

Sutra, the emblematic work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, is approaching its 10th anniversary. Interweaving Buddhist philosophy and contemporary elements, bringing together Chinese monks and modern-day artists, Sutra has lost none of its seductive appeal.

Encouraged by the consistent success he has enjoyed since his very first work, Rien de rien, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui decided to take a break in the early 2000s to spend several months at the Shaolin Temple in China. But he didn’t linger long in the meditation room: his experience among the monks, who are also martial arts experts, inspired him to create Sutra, a journey as personal as it is spectacular. On visual artist Antony Gormley’s versatile set of wooden boxes, to a score by Szymon Brzóska, Larbi stages an acrobatic work marked by precision and spirituality, a display of beautifully tranquil choreography. A journey of discovery guided by a group of young disciples. Under Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s gaze, celestial mountains are transformed into shifting landscapes.