Arkadi Zaides: Necropolis (2019)

Sunday, 24 November at 8:30 p.m.
performance
Kino Šiška, Katedrala
Duration: 65 min.

A performance about people whom Europe first turns into spectres in order to be able to integrate them into its symbolic universe. Choreographer Arkadi Zaides and his collaborators have created one of the very best examples of documentary contemporary performing arts.

Upon the invitation of journalist, dance theoretician and historian Jean-Marc Adolphe in 1992, the Cité Universitaire student campus in Paris held a summer art laboratory under the title SKITE, where a group of diverse choreographers and other artists met. Vera Mantero and Santiago Sempre gave a statement upon this occasion, stating that it has become impossible to dance due to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They had decided for their bodies to stand still. Other artists from this same lab also took unusual creative paths to react to the impotence of international political and diplomatic institutions. In recent history, this is one of the first examples of breaking with a systemic exclusion of dance from its political context and its (lack of) responsibility towards the time in which it is created.

Arkadi Zaides is an artist who understands his work as an ethical responsibility of the dancer, choreographer or body action artist towards the political and human time of our common global life and has for this reason been on our list of potential CoFestival guests for a number of years. Necropolis is an anthological example of documentary work in the field of contemporary choreographic and theatrical practices, because the performing arts have succeeded in ensuring the dignity of the human voice beyond moralising, didacticism, legal practices, scientific analyticity or investigative journalism. Necropolis choreographs the voice of conscience to raise the question: who were the captives of a statistical monster that counts »more than 60,000 lives?« Who were the people who, for reasons of war, economic or cultural, went to Europe in search of a time in which life would have been possible, but lost it just outside its borders? Who were the people who will never become acquaintances from next door?

Concept and direction: Arkadi Zaides
Dramaturgy, text and voice: Igor Dobričić
Research and choreography assistant: Emma Gioia
Sculpture: Moran Sanderovich
3D modelling: Mark Florquin
Avatar animation: Jean Hubert
Animation assistant: Thibaut Rostagnat
Sound design: Aslı Kobaner
Lighting design: Jan Mergaert
Technical director: Etienne Exbrayat
Grave location search: Andrea Costa, Ans Van Gasse, Arkadi Zaides, Benjamin Pohlig, Bianca Frasso, Carolina-Maria Van Thillo, Prof. Dr Christel Stalpaert, Doreen Kutzke, Dorsa Kavoosi, Eleonora Soriente, Elisa Franceschini, Elvura Quesada, Emma Gioia, Eva Maes, Filippo Furri, Flavia Dalila D’Amico, Frédéric Pouillaude, Friederike Kötter, Gabriel Smeets, Giorgia Mirto, Gosia Juszczak, Igor Dobričić, Ilka Van Bijlen, Jordy Minne, Joris Van Imschoot, Julia Asperska, Juliana Andrea Tapiero Polanía, Juliane Beck, Katia Gandolfi, Katja Seitajoki, Lilas Forissier, Lina Gilani Tsitouri, Lovis Heuss, Luca Lotano, Lucille Haddad, Maite Zabalza, Manuel Lavecchia, Maria Sierra Carretero, Mercedes Roldan, Myriam Van Imschoot, Myrto Katsiki, Nevena Delić, Osnat Kelner, Özge Atmış, Pepa Torres Perez, Sarah Leo, Selby Jenkins, Simge Gücük, Solveig Gade, Sunniva Vikør Egenes, Tamara Vajdíková, Tilemachos Tsolis, Valeria Povolo, Victoria Columba, Yannick Bosc, Yari Stilo
Data collected for Slovenia by Uršula Lipovec Čebron, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana; Uroš Škerl, Oštro; Marijana Hameršak, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore, Zagreb.
Administration and production: Simge Gücük / Institut des Croisements
International distribution: Something Great
Co-production: Theatre de la Ville (FR), Montpellier Danse 40 Bis (FR), Charleroi Danse (BE), CCN2 Centre chorégraphique national de Grenoble (FR), les ballets C de la B(BE), Tanz im August / HAU Hebbel am Ufer (DE), La Filature – Scène nationale de Mulhouse (FR)

* This performance is in English.
Organised by: Kino Šiška and NDA Slovenia
Free entry