Sivan Rubinstein

Interdisciplinary dance artist Sivan Rubinstein will transform Aspex Portsmouth for her debut in visual arts: a new solo exhibition titled Embodied Activism. 

 Working fluidly across dance, projection and installation, this transformative body of work is centred on the idea that out of destruction comes life. Welcoming visitors into the processes of her past work, Rubinstein invites us to engage with how we might explore themes of migration and climate change through visceral choreography and movement provocations. Embodied Activism aims to remind audiences of both our fragility and strength, and to highlight the interconnectedness that unites us on our shared planet.

“Life is movement. Movement is life-giving.” – Kadeesha Athura

“Embodied Activism marks a bold new chapter in Sivan Rubinstein’s interdisciplinary practice, bringing her expertise in dance, projection, and installation into the realm of visual arts. This exhibition navigates the profound relationships between bodies, spaces, and urgent global issues, offering a transformative perspective on creation as it emerges from destruction.

Through movement, Rubinstein unpacks the complexities of the climate crisis, migration, and womanhood. Her work transforms the gallery into a site of lived experience, where choreography becomes a form of storytelling, and installation an archive of collective memory. The pieces in Embodied Activism challenge us to consider the resilience of the human body as it moves through disruption and adapts to ever-changing environments.

The exhibition’s visceral, choreographic elements invite viewers to reflect on the fragility and interconnectedness of life. A choreography of things takes place across the boundaries of the exhibition space, exploring themes of migration. The climate crisis is embodied in the interplay between destruction and regeneration, where movement mirrors the rhythms of collapse and renewal. Womanhood is celebrated as a site of strength and vulnerability, central to the narratives of survival and transformation Rubinstein presents.

Rubinstein’s work asks us to inhabit the liminal spaces between action and reflection, to feel the urgency of the issues that define our shared moment, and to consider how our bodies—individually and collectively—carry histories, identities, and futures. Embodied Activism is not only a reflection of the challenges we face but also a call to action. It reminds us that movement, both literal and metaphorical, is a force for change—a way to connect, resist, and reimagine our place within a shifting world.

Embodied Activism is co-commissioned by The Place and Aspex Portsmouth, and supported by Arts Council England, Counterpoint Arts and Portsmouth City Council. With particular thanks to Dr. Sarah Fine, Fellow at Cambridge University, Sivan’s long-time Academic research partner. “ (Ricardo Reveron Blanco, Curator)