«Cicatriz», by Kirenia Martínez Acosta and Antón Reixa, arrives at FIBA in Buenos Aires
The contemporary dance piece «Cicatriz», directed and choreographed by Kirenia Martínez Acosta and performed by the artist herself alongside Antón Reixa, has been selected to take part in the Buenos Aires International Festival (FIBA). The work will be presented on 19 and 20 September at the Sala Cunill Cabanellas of the Teatro San Martín. It is the only Spanish production featured in the festival, which also includes several co-productions involving Spain.
«Cicatriz» emerged from the collaboration between Martínez Acosta and Reixa and draws on verses from the Galician writer and artist’s book of the same name: around 700 verses beginning with the words “I want”. This repetition structures a stage reflection on desire and the “desire for desire”. The music is by Bruno Baw and Marcos Payno, with voices by Antela Cid and Álex Sande.
The work also stands out for its inclusive nature. Reixa performs on stage, bringing his experience as a singer and performer into the language of contemporary dance. His presence —aged 68 at the premiere and with a physical disability resulting from a road accident in 2016— also introduces a reflection on age, ageism and functional diversity in the performing arts.
“For me, at first, it came as a huge surprise, but it convinced me because, by giving Cicatriz the character of an inclusive piece, it is inclusive for two reasons. On the one hand, because someone like me, almost 70 years old, starts dancing, and it is a very integrating experience. But it is also inclusive in terms of disability, because I have an officially recognised disability of 65%,” the artist says.
Reixa says that contemporary dance is a territory in which he feels very comfortable. “Contemporary dance seemed somewhat hermetic to me because I couldn’t quite get into its codes. Thanks to the integration of my text and to the way I see audiences responding to that text, I am also becoming convinced that contemporary dance is emotion. It is curious because, if we want to reflect on what people have been talking so much about this week, ‘farming aura’, in a way it becomes an elementary form of contemporary dance,” he explains.
The book «Cicatriz», also at FIBA
The participation in the Argentine festival will also have a literary dimension with the presentation of the book «Cicatriz», published by Editorial Elvira. The volume brings together the original Galician text, its Spanish and English translations, photographs from the performance and links to additional information.
Premiered in March 2025 in Santiago de Compostela, «Cicatriz» has toured various venues in Galicia and Spain and has also begun its international journey. Following performances in Germany and Buenos Aires, the piece will continue its tour with new dates in Spain: in December 2026, at the Teatro Rosalía in A Coruña, as part of the TRC Danza series, and in early 2027, in Valencia, as part of the Festival Vociferio.