Photo: Sven Harambašić
REFRACT
Contemporary ballet performance by Maison Enclave & Bureau of Innovation.
In dialogue with Audrey Freeman
FVTVRIST Magazine // 15 October 2025
Interview by Elina P.
Fvtvrist first met Audrey Freeman in February, days after Genesis. It was Maison Enclave’s debut: one night, an industrial space, and an audience close enough to hear the dancers breathe. She spoke then about proximity as a principle, about wanting to pull ballet out of the opera house and into rooms where nobody could sit at a comfortable distance from it. There was also a project she couldn’t yet discuss.
Eight months later, Maison Enclave closes Art Basel Paris week in the ballroom of the Hôtel de Crillon.
REFRACT is a new contemporary ballet developed with Bureau of Innovation, the curatorial platform founded by Holly Lucas, who conceived the concept alongside Freeman and extended it into an exhibition of Post-War and contemporary works selected with Charles Riva. Choreography by Manon Dubourdeaux. An original score by _BY.ALEXANDER, the producer formerly known as Alex da Kid, whose credits run through Eminem, Rihanna and Dr. Dre. Five dancers with backgrounds at the Opéra de Paris, Stuttgart Ballet and New York City Ballet. The whole thing staged inside a glass installation by Tino Seubert and Roham Shamekh.
The premise comes from the studio. Every dancer grows up in front of a mirror, watching and correcting herself, and that reflection shapes not only the body but how she believes she is seen. REFRACT turns the mirror outward. The audience sits surrounded by glass, candlelight and sculptural roses, and the body changes with every angle it is seen from.
We spoke with Audrey days before the opening.
The last time we spoke, Maison Enclave had just had its first edition. What's changed between then and now?
Since our first edition of GENESIS, Maison Enclave has evolved from an idea into a creative house with a much clearer identity. We’ve been expanding our collaborations across dance, fashion and contemporary art, exploring how performance can exist beyond traditional stages.
Partnering with curator Holly Lucas and founder of Bureau Of Innovation for our upcoming production, REFRACT, at Hôtel de Crillon during Art Basel Paris, really represents this next chapter. The vision hasn’t changed, but the scale of what we’re creating has grown.
REFRACT starts with something very specific from your own training: the mirror a dancer grows up in front of. When did you realise that was a subject rather than just a condition of the job?
As dancers, we spend our entire lives in front of mirrors (and in pink tights, not always the most flattering!), constantly analysing and correcting ourselves in pursuit of perfection. It’s such a normal part of our training that we rarely question the relationship we develop with our own reflection.
I became interested in the idea that the mirror isn’t just a tool for perfection, but something that can distort how we see ourselves. REFRACT grew from wanting to explore that relationship between the body, perception and identity. Collaborating with the Bureau of Innovation added another dimension, bringing art by Roham Shamekhand sculptural glass pieces designed by Tino Seubert into the performance to explore how perspective can constantly shift the way we see the body and movement.
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Photo: Sven Harambašić
You've described it as turning the mirror outward. In practice, what does that do to the dancers, are they being watched differently, or are they watching themselves differently?
I think it’s a bit of both. As dancers, we’re so used to watching and correcting ourselves, but with REFRACT, we’re shifting that perspective onto the audience and exploring how the body is perceived beyond the mirror.
Our choreographer, Manon Dubourdeaux, has also really delved into developing individual characters for each dancer, bringing another layer of identity and storytelling into the work. It’s less about presenting a perfect image and more about exploring the different ways we see ourselves and how others see us. I’ll let Manon elaborate further from a choreographic perspective.
The piece is built inside a glass installation by Tino Seubert and Roham Shamekh. How much did the set exist before the choreography, and how much did Manon build around it?
The whole concept really grew through our collaboration with Tino Seubert and Roham Shamekh, with their pieces inspiring much of the creative direction. From the perspective of our choreographer, Manon Dubourdeaux, she explored how mirrors have shaped us as dancers since our very first ballet classes. The choreography follows that evolution, from discovering our reflections as children, through years of training and striving for perfection, to the distortion of our self-image that can develop along the way. It’s something that affects us both physically and
mentally, and Manon has really brought that journey to life through movement.
_BY.ALEXANDER has produced for Eminem, Rihanna and Dr. Dre. How did he come to score a contemporary ballet, and how did he navigate a new genre?
I’ve always been the biggest fan of what he creates, so being able to dance to his work is honestly a dream. There’s something so cinematic and emotionally charged about his sound, and I love bringing that into the world of ballet. Dancing en pointe to music that isn’t traditionally associated with ballet creates such an interesting contrast, especially with Manon Dubourdeaux’s choreography. There’s a rawness and intensity to his music that allows us to move differently, while still keeping the precision of classical technique. I think that’s what makes the collaboration so exciting: neither art form has to conform to the other.
Five dancers with backgrounds at the Opéra de Paris, Stuttgart Ballet and New York City Ballet. Those are three very different schools. What happens when you put them in the same room?
That’s what I love most about this cast. Everyone comes from such different worlds, from classical companies like the Opéra de Paris, Stuttgart Ballet and New York City Ballet to Chazz, who’s danced with Lady Gaga and Harry Styles, and Sassy, who’s now performing at Crazy Horse.
There’s a shared language through movement, but everyone brings such a different energy, personality and artistic perspective. I think that contrast is what makes the cast so exciting.
When we last spoke you were planning to extend Genesis with new chapters. Instead you built something new. Can you tell us how that process developed?
I think that’s the beauty of creating something independently: you can follow an idea when it feels right, rather than being tied to a fixed plan. GENESIS was always intended to evolve, and it still will — stay tuned! But REFRACT came from a completely different place creatively. With Art Basel Paris approaching and the opportunity to work with Bureau of Innovation, it felt like the perfect moment to explore something new. I love that Maison Enclave can have multiple creative identities, with each production bringing together a different world of artists, collaborators and ideas.
Photo: Sven Harambašić
Bureau of Innovation has played a significant role in bringing REFRACT to life. How did your collaboration with Holly Lucas begin?
Holly is the founder and creative director of Bureau of Innovation, a curatorial platform bringing together contemporary art, collectible design and cultural experiences.
She’s also Australian and based in Paris. We met during my first year in the city and connected instantly. Holly had already founded Bureau of Innovation, and we quickly discovered that we shared these huge ambitions to create extraordinary multidisciplinary experiences, bringing together art, design and performance in ways people hadn’t experienced before.
We’ve always been inspired by each other’s ideas and knew we’d eventually create something together. REFRACT felt like the perfect opportunity to bring our worlds together, and it’s been incredible seeing it evolve into something much bigger than just a performance.
REFRACT has now evolved beyond the performance into an exhibition, with works from the Charles Riva Collection alongside collectible design curated by Bureau of Innovation. How did this dialogue between contemporary art, design and movement come together?
Holly Lucas is a Founder & Creative Director, Bureau of Innovation. The exhibition grew naturally from the themes of REFRACT, exploring reflection, perception, the body and transformation. Working in conversation with Charles Riva, I selected works that would create a genuine dialogue between Post-War and contemporary art and collectible design, rather than simply placing two collections alongside one another.
The Charles Riva Collection brings together photography by Robert Mapplethorpe and Richard Avedon, alongside paintings by Christopher Wool, Daniel Richter and Cécile Defforey, among others. In response, Bureau of Innovation presents collectible design by Roham Shamekh, Sophie Dries, Kym Ellery, Tino Seubert, Rodrigo Garcia, Corpus Studio, William Guillon, Tim Vranken, G-iO Studio, Studio Valerie Name and Agglomerati.
Despite their different disciplines and materials, these artists share an interest in process, transformation and the traces left behind through creation. It’s this conversation between the works that makes the exhibition feel like an extension of REFRACT itself.
What’s the next step? We discussed touring last time. Is that still on the table?
A lot! Touring is absolutely still on the table, but I love the idea of balancing existing productions with entirely new concepts inspired by different cities and spaces.
We’re looking at Paris Photo this November, bringing GENESIS to Ibiza, creating new experiences within the beautiful palazzos of Venice, and continuing our collaboration with Bureau of Innovation to bring contemporary art and curation into more of our projects, including in our home country, Australia.
I want each experience to feel unique, whether it’s a new chapter of something we’ve created or an entirely different world. And there’s plenty more in the works that I can’t reveal just yet... hehe!
REFRACT//
Date: Sunday 25 October 2026, the closing evening of Art Basel Paris week
Venue: Hôtel de Crillon, Ballroom, Place de la Concorde, Paris
Sessions: 6pm and 8:30pm
Cast: five dancers with backgrounds at the Opéra de Paris, Stuttgart Ballet and New York City Ballet
CREATIVE TEAM
Creative direction: Audrey Freeman, Maison Enclave
Choreography: Manon Dubourdeaux
Glass installation and set: Tino Seubert and Roham Shamekh, Bureau of Innovation
Music: By Alexander
Art and design curation: Bureau of Innovation by Holly Lucas
Cast: Audrey Freeman, Sassy Huttenbach, Nicolas Doare, Sava Milojevic, Chazz Cooks
Genesis
In dialogue with Audrey Freeman
FVTVRIST Magazine // 26 February 2025
Interview by Elina P.
Photos by Elené Kristé
Audrey Freeman @Elené Kristé
Audrey Freeman @Elené Kristé
Do you see Maison Enclave as a “total artwork,” or more as an interdisciplinary project?
I see it as a total artwork created through interdisciplinary collaboration. Each medium, dance, fashion, digital art or music contributes equally. If you remove one, the whole structure changes. It’s about creating one unified experience.
How do you choose your collaborators? Is it intuitive, or conceptual?
It started with choreography, I wanted to create something new and place it outside a traditional stage. Then I chose the space: an industrial venue with a clean, minimal potential. From there, it evolved organically. I met Manon Dubourdeaux for coffee and immediately knew we shared the same vision. For costume, I reached out to the Rick Owens team and Tyron Dylan. I presented the concept and a mood board, and step by step we built it together.
Working with Rick Owens was seamless, the team was generous and open to customizing and creating pieces specifically for the performance. The process felt very natural. Each collaborator brought their own vision, and together we shaped Genesis into what it became.
Audrey Freeman @Elené Kristé
Audrey Freeman @Elené Kristé
What is the conceptual idea behind the title Genesis?
Genesis represents the birth and origin of Maison Enclave. It’s the first movement, the first production, the first time all these collaborators came together. The aesthetic also aligned with the title, the dancers’ costumes were minimal, mesh, body-focused; the choreography blended classical ballet with contemporary movement. The atmosphere had something raw and elemental about it. The title felt right.
How do you see Genesis evolving?
After the first show, the main reaction was: “We want more.” So we plan to bring Genesis back, likely in a new location, and extend it by 15–20 minutes, adding new chapters and dancers while keeping the core elements, the Rick Owens looks, lighting, music, and overall energy. At the same time, we’re developing entirely new productions with different concepts and atmospheres. There’s a lot in progress.
One striking element of the performance was how physically close the audience was to the dancers. Will you keep that proximity?
Absolutely. That’s central to the project. I want to move away from the distance of opera houses, where audiences sit formally and far from the stage. I love seeing dancers up close. In Genesis, depending on where you sat, you could experience it from different angles - front, side, elevated. That intimacy is something I’ll always keep. Eventually, I’d like to push it further — perhaps even into interactive territory.
Would you like to deepen audience engagement?
Yes. We’re working on a project planned for October involving an immersive sound system, digital art, and dancers integrated within the audience. It will run for five consecutive nights. I can’t reveal too much yet, but it will be highly immersive: sound, digital art, live performance and involve strong French artists as well.
Do you see Maison Enclave staying in Paris, or touring internationally?
Touring was always part of the original vision. We’re exploring opportunities to bring Genesis to New York. London, Venice, Berlin and other cities. The goal is to travel across Europe and potentially the U.S., adapting each performance to new spaces while maintaining its identity.
FIN
ABOUT MAISON ENCLAVE
Maison Enclave is an independent performance house founded in Paris by ballet dancer, Audrey Freeman, bringing ballet into unexpected spaces and contexts. Its work lives where dance meets fashion, art and architecture, with the world and silhouettes of Rick Owens at the heart of its visual language. Its debut production, GENESIS, sold out at the start of the year, and returns this November in a new form: a photography series with Sven Harambašić for Paris Photo.
ABOUT AUDREY FREEMAN
Founder & Creative Director, Maison Enclave. Audrey Freeman is an Australian dancer and creative director based in Paris. Trained at The Royal Ballet School, her career has spanned global stages and cultural institutions, including the Royal Opera House, Lincoln Center and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Her work has evolved beyond the traditional stage, bringing together dance, fashion, art and architecture. This led her to found Maison Enclave, an independent performance house exploring ballet in unexpected spaces and contexts. Drawing from her own experience as a dancer, Audrey explores themes of the body, repetition, reflection and perception, with fashion, particularly the world and silhouettes of Rick Owens, forming an important part of Maison Enclave's visual language.
ABOUT BUREAU OF INNOVATION
Founded by Holly Lucas, Bureau of Innovation is a curatorial platform between gallery and curator, bringing together collectible design, contemporary art and cultural programming. For REFRACT, Lucas conceived the original concept alongside Audrey Freeman, around movement, perception and the body, and extended it into the exhibition: with Charles Riva, she selected Post-War and Contemporary artworks in response to REFRACT, placed in dialogue with collectible design and live performance.
_BY.ALEXANDER
Alexander Grant, known professionally as _BY.ALEXANDER, is a British producer, artist and creative director whose practice spans music, fashion and contemporary culture. Originally known as Alex da Kid, he produced defining records for artists including Eminem, Rihanna, Dr. Dre and Imagine Dragons before developing _BY.ALEXANDER, a more experimental musical practice blending modern jazz, alternative R&B, hip-hop and electronic sound. For REFRACT, _BY.ALEXANDER creates an original sound composition that evolves alongside the choreography, extending the exhibition's investigation into movement, reflection and transformation through an immersive dialogue between sound, space and the body.
