Teatr Akademia Ruchu (Academy of Movement Theatre) was established in Warsaw in 1973. It’s founder and artistic director is Wojciech Krukowski. From the very beginning of its activity Akademia Ruchu is known as the “theatre of behaviours” and visual narrative. Akademia Ruchu is a group of creative acting on the borderline of different fields – theatre, visual arts, performance and film. The common features of the creative process of Akademia Ruchu’s activities are: movement, space and social message. There is a belief associated with this – that artistic radicalism and social messages don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Since 1974 the works of Akademia Ruchu in open space of the city have the nature of a regular, continuous activity (over 600 performances, events and street actions). They are the first ever in Poland example of an art group with systematic activities outside of the official sphere of art cult in “non-artistic’ spaces; in the streets, in residential buildings and industrial zones. On the other hand elements of everyday life moved to the “sacred” art space (on stage, in the gallery) enriched Akademia Ruchu’s anthropological vision without any loss of the aesthetic side.
Akademia Ruchu presented their work in nearly every European country as well as in both Americas and Japan during tours and significant theatre festivals (among others, International Theatre Festival of Caracas, Theatre Festival in Nancy, Kaaitheater Festival in Brussels, International Theatre Festival in Chicago, International Festival of Live Art in Glasgow). A.R. created their work in many galleries and places where visual art is presented (among others, DOCUMENTA 8 in Kassel, Institute of Contemporary Arts ICA in London, Museum for Contemporary Arts PS1 in New York, Museum of Modern Arts in Yokohama.