Text by CLOT Magazine
We are presenting Kueeng, an intimate and personal audiovisual work by artist and creative director Ana Sting and DJ and producer Chloé Caillet. This piece expresses their worlds in a unique universe, portraying a journey through clubbing, dance and self-expression concepts.
The artists wanted to portray the journey from the moment of entering a musical space until the music takes you; you lose control and become your authentic self closer to your spirit. Somehow away from the physical evolving into an expression of the most animal instincts: you don’t even think about your moves; you just let go of the cadence and rhythm.
Ana Sting explores spirituality, identity, womanhood, activism and sustainability through her work. For this project, she incepted the whole concept first. Then, they started elaborating on the music and expanding on the freedom and transformation that dance brings her and how it can be a transforming and spiritual practice, bringing her closer to her inner self and her animal spirit.
One of the inspirations behind the project is ecclesiastical sound, like a church organ, that brings this spiritual layer. I went to a Catholic school, and although I don’t practice it, it has been a recurring sound in my childhood, making me feel connected or touched. So I had the idea to introduce some vocals to explain the core of the performance, which, step by step, will turn into a proper dance track, Ana explains. She is also very inspired by ’60s psychedelia that uses a lot of organs, like the Hammond. Besides, she continues, Chloe is a very talented producer and a pianist; she can take you anywhere with her melodies. She understood exactly what I wanted to say and quickly developed the intro.
All the visuals were created by Ana Sting, from the clothes and makeup (which somehow remind us of the lush costume design for Bram Stoker’s Dracula film) to the dance choreography, working with the support of an incredible glam and visual effects team. Although the choreography was never rehearsed, it just happened as it was filmed. As a result, you could see the evolution of the character, who is in constant transformation while shooting.
A character inspired by fantastic creatures such as dragons from fantasy books. I expressed my feelings and allowed my body to do whatever it wanted. I didn’t want to limit the moment’s energy; it had to be a real moment of release, letting go and transformation. I think the magic would have been lost if I had planned it beforehand. They conclude it was a magical moment; doing something like this with someone you love is very special.
And Ana Sting is also launching her first solo show next week, 1:11 – INNER PERSONALITIES in Plataforma² in Barcelona. A very personal exhibition, where the artist shows us different characters that exaggeratedly inhabit her and reflects on who we are and to what extent we are willing to look within with the aim of normalising mental health. Through her art, the artist wants to build a safe space for everyone to accept and be accepted and also serve as a mirror for everyone who contemplates it.
