KMs of Resistance

Mehdi Dahkan / Mohamed Bouriri

Kms of Resistance is a choreographic and sound performance that explores the primal act of breathing as a means of expressing resistance and inspiring collective action. In this piece, two performers propose synchronized choreographic and rhythmic sequences using only their breath, voices, and bodies. By making breath the essential sonic material of resistance, the work creates a form of protest with no chants and no slogans, offering a subtle way to confront today’s pressing challenges in times when direct speech can be silenced or censored.

Mehdi Dahkan (b. 1998, Tangier) is a Moroccan choreographer and performer whose work uses the body as a primary medium to question constructed behaviors and ideologies in the contemporary Maghreb. He began with breakdance, parkour, and other urban practices before expanding into contemporary dance. In 2019 he founded Jil Z, a platform for choreographic research and creation, through which he has developed works such as MA’KAN (2019), BNI MAKADA (2021), ONLY 14 (2023), and SUBJECT TO (2024). Through his current work, he explores unconventional forms of protest and resistance movements that later developed into artistic practices or rituals.

“Mehdi Dahkan’s choreography KMs of Resistance highlights the body’s ability to codify messages and sidestep constraints… Dahkan honors his country’s creativity in finding ways to express resistance, turning stories into performative, minimalist sculptures. Inviting others to breathe with him is a symbol for the interconnectedness of all beings in an almost Zen-like, non- dualistic way, where the individual self is overcome” – Gesine Borcherdt, Art Critic (Welt, Artforum, Art Review, Aperture)

“KMs of Resistance rests entirely on breath, on shared air, on the act of breathing. At times it seems as if the performers were lending each other breath, as if that were the only breathable air that remains. After seeing his work, it is clear that Mehdi Dahkan possesses an undeniable lucidity about the realities of Morocco and Europe. He knows exactly what he wants to do and say and not say” – Fernando Renjifo, Author, Critic and Stage Director

Credits

direction Mehdi Dahkan performance Mehdi Dahkan, Mohamed Bouriri lighting design Arthur Schindel dramaturgical support Alice Ripoll support Forecast Platform, Ettijahat Independent Culture (Rawabet), Le Phare, CCN Le Havre, French Institute Morocco (Tanger)