Arkadi Zaides

Arkadi Zaides (born 1979, Homel Belarus, former USSR) works as a choreographer, a performer and a researcher. He obtained a master’s degree at the AHK Academy of Theater and Dance in Amsterdam and is currently working on his joint practice-based PhD degree at Antwerp University, Belgium, and Ghent University, Belgium. He is a member of the CORPoREAL research group at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp and a member of the S:PAM (Studies in Performing Arts and Media) at Ghent University. 

Zaides’ work was presented in multiple venues such as Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2023); Kaaitheatern (2022) and Charleroi Danse (2022 and 2018), Brussels, Belgium; CAMPO, Ghent, Belgium (2022); Dansens Hus, Stockholm, Sweden (2021); Sort/Hvid, Copenhagen, Denmark (2021); Gessnerallee, Zurich, Switzerland (2021); Theatre De La Ville, Paris, France (2019); Teatros del Canal, Madrid, Spain  (2019); Teatro Campos, Bilbao, Spain (2018); STUK, Leuven, Belgium (2018); Les Subsistances, Lyon, France (2017); HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin, Germany (2017); and Theatre National de Chaillot, Paris (2014, 2013 and 2012).

His work has been featured in festivals, as well, such as Latitudes Contemporaines, Lille, France (2023 and 2019); La Bâtie, Geneva, Switzerland (2022); Montpellier Danse, France (2021); FIT, Lugano, Switzerland (2020); Oriente Occidente, Rovereto, Italy (2020); Tanz Im August, Berlin, Germany (2020 and 2017); Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Mexico City (2019); Athens Festival, Greece (2018); Zurich Moves, Switzerland (2018, 2013 and 2012); Avant Garden, Trondheim, Norway (2018 and 2016); Diver Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel (2017, 2014); Escenas Do Cambio, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (2016); Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels, Belgium (2015); Dansem Festival, Marseilles, France (2015); Spielart Festival, Munich, Germany (2015); and Julidans, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2012). 

Zaides’ video installations have been presented in various museums and galleries, such as Het Bos, Antwerp, Belgium (2019); 72-13 ICAA, Singapore (2018); La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain (2017); Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany (2017); and James Gallery, New York (2016). 

Over the years, he has curated projects such as New Dance Project (2010–2011) with choreographer Anat Danieli; Moves Without Borders (2012–2015); and Violence of Inscriptions (2015–2018) with the scholar, curator and dramaturge Sandra Noeth. The latter gathered artists, thinkers and human-rights activists to negotiate the role of the body in producing, maintaining, legitimizing, representing and aestheticizing structural violence. 

Zaides is a recipient of numerous prizes, among them, a prize for demonstrating engagement in human-rights issues, awarded to him by The Emile Zola Chair for Interdisciplinary Human Rights Dialogue.

Photo by Joeri Thiry