Aven Review: Spectacular Visuals, Lacking Emotional Depth

Fuerza Bruta’s Aven is not just a show, it’s a full-on night out experience. Beginning half an hour before the official start time, a DJ set gets the energy flowing and, on some evenings, keeps the vibe alive until late. The atmosphere is electric with loud beats, a club-like environment, and an open bar. Running through September with even afternoon performances, Aven promises the attributes of a summer blockbuster: it’s high on spectacle, energy-packed, and brimming with set pieces and special effects.

The audience is immersed into the experience, standing throughout, although some seating is available. The show primarily takes place above the spectators, with a plethora of unique acts constantly capturing attention. A significant highlight is a massive inflated globe with four performers running horizontally around it, engaging in a playful chase, and periodically pausing to whip up applause. A man rises and falls within a giant wind machine filled with a storm of confetti, creating a captivating visual.

Adding to the spectacle, a woman walks above the audience in a tank of shallow water while a man connects beneath her. They thrash and splash in a synchronized performance above the intrigued audience. A lineup of four dancers on a rotating travelator bop like a synchronized backing group. Additionally, a woman finds herself flailing inside a zoetrope-style mobile with large butterflies that seem to flap their wings, illuminated by strobe lights.

And that’s just the beginning. Another standout act involves a woman swirling around a rotating crane, appearing to race on air. Performers seated on rotating chairs twist and arch as streams of smoke are blasted their way by a powerful wind machine. But the pièce de résistance is a zeppelin-like blue whale, bobbing over the audience, its open insides revealing the men and machinery that operate it, symbolizing the blend of human effort and technological marvel.

Performers and technicians work diligently to keep both the show and the crowd’s enthusiasm alive, which sometimes accentuates a certain superficiality. Though summer blockbusters are designed as marketing spectacles, they shouldn’t overtly feel like one. Aven occasionally slips into this territory. The headlong rush of brief scenes undoubtedly looks fantastic in digital snippets ideal for Instagram and TikTok (where audience members are encouraged to document the show), but the live experience can feel like it mimics the fleeting allure of social media content: visually stunning but lacking deeper substance.

• At the Roundhouse, London, until 1 September

Source: The Guardian