Discosailing, A Ballet on Water in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

This summer, as the world’s leading athletes compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, an altogether different sporting proposition is set to unfold in East London.
On Saturday 27 July and Friday 27 September, The Line presents the UK debut of Rasheed Araeen’s extraordinary participatory art piece Discosailing: A Ballet on Water in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. First conceived in 1970, Discosailing is a system of meditative movement on water.

“Discosailing is conceived both as a work of art and water sport, thus questioning and breaking the boundary that separates art from other human activities of everyday life. Unlike traditional or prevailing concepts or forms of sailing, which require a boat or surfboard with a mast to which are fixed sails, Discosailing has no mast. The mast is in fact replaced by human body.

The underlying philosophy of Discosailing, is that we all belong to one reality spread across the globe, and that it is fundamental to our survival and wellbeing to recognise that we all are inter-related within a single unit or entity, and that we need within this entity collaboration and cooperation.”
– Rasheed Araeen, artist, Discosailing

The Karachi-born engineer-turned-artist Rasheed Araeen developed Discosailing as an opportunity for people to interact with his sculptures. Through a meditative, experimental encounter, participants are invited to play with a connection between the body, object, water and space – proposing an anti-sport or noncompetitive activity.

“We are delighted to present Rasheed Araeen’s ‘Discosailing: A Ballet on Water’ on The Line on the opening weekend of the Paris 2024 Games. Its location on the river, in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, reminds us of the cross-cultural links between art and sport, and the joy of participation in both, whatever the participant’s level. It is a privilege to present this work on The Line, allowing Rasheed to witness it in person for the first time.”
– Megan Piper, Co-Founder & Director, The Line
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Participants stand on red floating discs approximately four feet in diameter and wear yellow sails. Lifting the arms raises the sails to catch the breeze and, by moving the body, the individual can balance and centre themselves on the disc. For the spectator, the effect is like watching a group of ballet dancers in slow motion, as they react to the effects of the wind and the water. Discosailing therefore exists as both a form of live performance, a water sport, and a sculptural artwork, making the argument for a new societal approach to physical leisure activity. It is a collaboration with London Youth Rowing, who have provided invaluable expertise and support in facilitating the project.

“London Youth Rowing are excited to be working on ‘Discosailing’. It is a unique and collaborative way to encourage more people to engage with the waterway and to get active on it.”
– Owen Shephard-Wyatt, Active Paddle and QEOP Manager, London Youth Rowing

The first performance of Discosailing will be held on Saturday 27 July, coinciding with the official opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and will take place, aptly, on the river in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, site of the London Olympics 12 years ago.

“Our canals and rivers form such a vital part of what makes the park so special that it’s fitting to use them to host Rasheed Araeen’s work. It’s yet another wonderful collaboration celebrating the very best in East London’s vibrant arts and culture community.”
– Mark Camley, Executive Director of Park Operations and Venues, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Six 30-minute performances are planned for the two dates, each featuring nine participants drawn from a variety of local London performance and community groups, as well as volunteers from the wider public. Rasheed Araeen will also attend the July performance – the first time he will have seen his idea brought to life in the 55 years since he first conceived it.

Last presented in Moscow in 2019, but never before staged in the UK, Discosailing is co-curated by The Line – a 2012 Olympic legacy project and public art trail that connects Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2, following the waterways and line of the Greenwich Meridian across East London. This marks the latest in a series of collaborations and co-curated projects with Arup Phase 2 and forms part of a wider presentation of Araeen’s practice, which includes a sculptural commission, a programme of workshops exploring creativity and engineering with local secondary schools, and an artist’s talk.

“This is Arup Phase 2’s third curatorial project with The Line and we are honoured and excited to be co-commissioning Rasheed Araeen. Discosailing is meditative and non-competitive, relying on collective interaction with air and water – the fundamentals of life. The discs have been carefully refined with input from materials specialists at Arup and Aquaplanet to enable further Discosailing events in the future.”
– Dr Jennifer Greitschus, Head of Cultural Heritage and Exhibitions, Arup

Discosailing will be performed on the Waterworks River between London Aquatics Centre and UCL East at what3words location mixed.songs.motion on 27 July and 27 September 2024. The six 30-minute performances will start on the half hour between 11.30am and 5pm on Saturday 27 July and a further afternoon/evening of performances will take place on Friday 27 September, exact times to be confirmed. More information about the performances – and the application form to participate – can be found here: https://forms.monday.com/forms/3a35419a6904145a248324b23e05efa9?r=euc1
Supported by The Ampersand Foundation and Arts Council England.