SANCTOMB is a performance art project by Køteren og Terrieren (Bjørk-Mynte Paulse and Jonathan Ibsen) that questions the afterlife: who it is created for and who is denied access? Through choreographic exploration, Bjørk-Mynte and Jonathan examine how religious power structures have historically excluded queer bodies from the sacred, and how these exclusions still shape our society today. By invoking a queer sacred body – a body that does not need to be cleansed, transformed, or forgiven in order to exist – they attempt to create their own queer liturgy: a space for community, comfort and hope on their own terms. By redefining notions of the afterlife, Køteren og Terrieren seek new ways of living – both spiritually and physically – as queer individuals.
Concept and Choreography: Køteren og Terrieren ( Jonathan Ibsen and Bjørk-Mynte Paulse ) / Performers: Jonathan Ibsen and Bjørk-Mynte Paulse / Composer: Amund Ulvestad / Costume Designer: Mathias Mons Mørch Hansen / Dramaturg: Sodja Lotker / Producer: Adam Manthey Steen / Outside Eye: Jonas Øren / Co-Producer: Dansens Hus, Oslo, Norway / Supported by: Kulturrådet – fri scenekunsst dans and Fond For Lyd og Bilde / International Sales: StepTurnMove
Køteren og Terrieren is the name of the artistic duo formed by Bjørk-Mynte Paulse and Jonathan Ibsen. Translated, it means The Bastard and The Terrier. The Bastard is untamed, messy and unpredictable. The Terrier is stubborn, sharp and tireless. Together, they create an absurd and contrasting dynamic. The name points to something skewed, unpolished and untamed.
“We recognise ourselves in those energies and the dynamics between them. At times, one of us is the Bastard and the other the Terrier, and then it shifts. And with that energy, we jump into our artistic exploration.”
Bjørk-Mynte Paulse and Jonathan Ibsen are driven by a shared artistic interest in challenging and questioning societal norms. Through the lens of a trans woman of colour and a white homosexual man, they examine the world they live in and aim to contextualise issues surrounding gender, sexuality and identity.
With curiosity and an unfiltered aesthetic, they approach pressing questions in an untamed and direct way. Their ambition is to engage, challenge and initiate dialogue through choreography and the staging of the realities they inhabit. Their practice is grounded in a curiosity that exists at the intersection of dance, theatre and installation.
They are committed to creating work that dares to bring urgent contemporary issues to the forefront. Through their art, they strive to dismantle barriers and foster a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that shape both individual identities and society as a whole. Their work invites audiences to reflect, engage in dialogue and consider the structures that define and limit us, opening up space for new perspectives and possibilities.
