KDV Performance Group / Kianí Del Valle:. Instrucciones para existir (Instructions for existing)

Unter der Regie und Choreografie von Kianí Del Valle und mit der Originalmusik von Devonté Hynes wird der architektonische Raum als dynamisches Tableau neu interpretiert, in dem ein avantgardistisches Tanzensemble auf die disziplinierten Formationen einer militärischen Einheit trifft.

INSTRUCCIONES PARA EXISTIR (INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXISTING), KDV PERFORMANCE GROUP, 2026, Direction, Concept & Choreography : Kianí Del Valle, Original Sound Score: Devonté Hynes

Venue: Neue Nationalgalerie terrace

Inspired by Trisha Brown’s Walking on the Wall, the KDV Performance Group transforms the rooftop of the Neue Nationalgalerie into a vibrant, site-specific stage for the captivating outdoor performance INSTRUCCIONES PARA EXISTIR (INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXISTING). Directed and choreographed by Kianí Del Valle, and with an original score by Devonté Hynes, the piece reimagines the architectural space as a dynamic tableau where an avant-garde dance ensemble intersects with the disciplined formations of a tactical unit, creating a striking contrast between artistic expression and militarized order. Originally inspired by a short fictional text by Del Valle set in the year 3036, the piece envisions a future where nostalgia and the memory of our past selves are entirely erased, and militarization permeates everyday life, with routine tasks framed through the lens of militia. The performance explores the fragile tension between control and chaos, the organic and the militant, as well as authority and resistance. Through this juxtaposition, it confronts fundamental questions of power, surveillance, human connection, and the urgent need to preserve love, vulnerability, and collective memory.

Kianí Del Valle is a performance artist based between Berlin and Los Angeles. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she has spent over two decades developing a transdisciplinary practice that blends contemporary dance, visual arts, film, installation and sound. Her work encompasses direction, choreography, dramaturgy, stunt acrobatics, and method acting.

Del Valle’s body of work explores the human condition and the complexities of existence, weaving themes of science fiction, hauntology, metaphysics, and psychology. Her creations are crafted through ritual, intuitive movement, and physical endurance, viewed through the lens of surrealism, mysticism, and dystopian realities. After developing a solo repertoire of over 22 pieces, Del Valle founded the KDV Performance Group in Berlin, where she expands on the themes of her solo practice within ensemble work for theatrical, cinematic, and site-specific settings. Her work has been presented at prestigious venues worldwide such as Barbican London, Getty Museum Los Angeles, Performance Space NYC, Volksbühne Berlin, Serpentine Gallery London, and Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. In recent years, Kianí’s solo work as well as performances with KDV Performance Group have been invited to various global festivals.

INSTRUCCIONES PARA EXISTIR (INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXISTING) is co-commissioned by the Neue Nationalgalerie and TONO, with support from Nike Sportswear | Nike Air Max Liquid & Studio Fleece.

PERFORM! is curated by Klaus Biesenbach, Director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, together with Lisa Botti, Curator at Neue Nationalgalerie, and Gregor Quack, Volkswagen Group Curator.

The American Academy in Berlin is a partner of PERFORM! 2026.

Next date:

• Date Sunday, 13/September/2026 19:00 bis 19:30
• Venue Neue Nationalgalerie
• Address Potsdamer Straße 50, 10785 Berlin-Tiergarten