Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest and the Halprin Landscape Conservancy worked in collaboration to create Body Is Home, a film created during the pandemic set in Lawrence Halprin’s Portland Open Space Sequence. The film celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Keller Fountain, formerly the Forecourt Fountain, and honors the 100th birthday of the living choreographer Anna Halprin.
The Keller Fountain opened in 1970, only days after protests just a few blocks away resulted in the hospitalizations of 34 people. The new park immediately became a celebration of the Portland community and the power of public space. As the COVID-19 global pandemic and protests for racial justice roil Portland today, Body Is Home honors the present moment in a setting that remains unique and powerful after 50 crucial years of Portland history. Lawrence Halprin said it best when he noted, “Please try to remember we’re all in this together.” His vision began with open spaces that would be for everyone.
Body is Home first premiered as part of Cooped Up 3, and included a discussion with the artists and Zeljka Carol Kekez from PLACE. Watch here!
