(LA)HORDE: Heureux sous son ombre

Discover the interplay of dance, community, and social space in (LA)HORDE: Heureux sous son ombre, on view at The Bass Museum of Art from October 16, 2024, to April 27, 2025. This marks the U.S. debut of the multidisciplinary France-based collective (LA)HORDE, led by Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer and Arthur Harel, who reimagine classical dance through a contemporary lens as directors of the Ballet de Marseille.

The exhibition centers around Bondy (2017), a video portrait of a Paris suburb’s community members dancing in spaces meaningful to them. From high school cheerleaders to synchronized swimmers, participants directed and performed their movements in settings that reflect their diverse cultural and social backgrounds. Alongside this, HEUREUX SOUS SON OMBRE (2024), a new sculpture commissioned by The Bass, explores themes of societal boundaries and collective identity, while Ghost Light, The Bass, Miami (2024) references theater traditions of safety and superstition in a conceptual continuation of these ideas.

Titled after Bondy’s municipal motto, “Happy under its shadow,” the exhibition examines how spaces—both physical and symbolic—shape human interaction and creativity. Curated by James Voorhies and Claudia Mattos, the installation combines video, sculpture and choreography to provide a thought-provoking look at the connections between art, society and performance.