FRIEZE
Agenda
Brussels
Taipei
Breda
Festival VIA
Mons
Brussels
Ghent
De Internationale Keuze 2010
Rotterdam
Essen
-
“Before the Law stands a doorkeeper. To this door-keeper there comes a man from the country and prays for admittance to the Law. But the doorkeeper says that he cannot grant admittance at the moment. The man thinks it over and then asks if he will be allowed in later. "It is possible," says the doorkeeper, "but not at the moment." [...] There he sits for days and years. He makes many attempts to be admitted [...] During these many years the man fixes his attention almost continuously on the doorkeeper. [...] Now he has not very long to live…"
From: ‘Before the Law’, Franz Kafka
FRIEZE
FRIEZE consists of two projections of enlarged figures, standing up straight. They are cramped inside a small, tall box that slowly revolves on a central horizontal axis. They wait. They try to keep straight, but their bodies insist on contorting in the confined space. Nevertheless they persevere in maintaining their dignity. Keeping up appearances. Their bodies sink and turn, pressing against the constricting walls, until the man and the woman are completely upside down. They then slowly pull themselves upright again, they straighten their clothes and look ahead as if nothing happened.
In FRIEZE Kris Verdonck continues to work on the theme of earlier projections, e.g. STILLS, DUMP and D'OR. The figures are typical 'Verdonck-personages': business types, neatly dressed, civilised and modern, but all stuck in a system, in an untenable situation. But they don't ask questions. They maintain their faith. Persistance is the message.
The personages in FRIEZE could be considered to be a modern version of the caryatids: the humanly figures that often replaced pillars in classical architecture. They were functional as well as ornamental and emanated power. The caryatids in FRIEZE, on the other hand, display their vulnerability in the extreme.
FRIEZE is also part of the 'circuit performance' K, a Society (2010).
Kristof Vrancken
Credits
Concept & direction: Kris Verdonck
Dramaturgy: Marianne Van Kerkhoven (Kaaitheater)
With: Thomas Hauert, Tawny Andersen
Camera & editing: Vincent Pinckaers
Soundesign: Thomas Turine
Light design: Luc Schaltin (Kaaitheater)
Costumes: Schauspiel Essen, Sofie Durnez
Technical coordination: Luc Schaltin (Kaaitheater)
Construction: Sylvain Spinoit
Image processing: Massimiliano Simbula
Multimedia programmation: Félix Luque
Production: A Two Dogs Company
Production manager: Hendrik De Smedt
Coproduction: Theater der Welt 2010 (DE), Transdigital (Interreg), Kunstencentrum Vooruit (BE), Productiehuis Rotterdam / Rotterdamse Schouwburg (NL), Kaaitheater (BE)
In collaboration with: Schauspiel Essen (DE), Le manège.mons (BE) en Technocité (BE) in the frame of Transdigital
With the support of: the Flemish Authorities, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), the Brussels Capital Region