Performance
2009

Audrey Cottin founded the Clapping Group in May 2009 (in Ghent, Belgium). She wrote: “I proposed to find out what was the practice of clapping from Steve Reich’s music to sport stadium. So, I invited other artists, we gathered and practiced clapping. I wanted to understand - why and how - to engage a group into applauses. Very fast we understood the great potential of clapping in group. Curator Christian Bernard told me, this is the 19th century corrupted theatre members ‘La Claque’. From that reference, I realized that clapping was more than sound and music. It was sociological, historical, political and religious. I decided to unfold the simple and ancestral gesture of applause into a long-term research-practice. The act of clapping palms is powerful and not neutral. Recently, neurosciences studies have showed great interest into applauses against diseases. Clapping Group has been appearing at several venues throughout Belgium, France, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, South-Africa, Mexico.”