Durst
Libretto / evening programme as PDF download
Our emotions are mighty demons that inhabit a secret garden in the midst of a dark forest. After having analysed the paradox of “auspiciousness” in her last piece, choreographer Linda Samaraweerová now turns her attention to mankind’s inability to deal with essential emotions. In Durst (engl. thirst), she illustrates how our society’s fatal relationship with the dark side of our affects and the corresponding cognitive-compulsive behaviour has become a considerable mechanism of our time. Together with composer Robert Jíša, author Elke Laznia, artists Violetta Ehnsperg, Karl Karner and Laura Samaraweerová, Linda Samaraweerová creates an aesthetic, trans-disciplinary experimental setting to explore the dark side of society’s compulsive behaviours. Durst is a complex and subversive statement that takes on norms and the contemporary cultural taboo which enables reason to be replaced by emotions precisely because living in denial lets the emotional side pass unchecked.
studied at the dance and performance school P.A.R.T.S in Brussels. Since 2005, she has been collaborating with artist Karl Karner, developing choreographic work for theatres, museums and galleries inspired by sculpture, installations, performance art, dance, theatre, video art and film. She has been a regular guest performer at Tanzquartier Wien since 2009. Other venues include steirischer herbst, brut Wien, ImPulsTanz, Donaufestival, LENTOS Museum Linz, Neue Galerie Graz, KM – Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst und Medien. Her projects have also been presented in other countries, such as France, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany and Switzerland.
studied under Kenneth Greenhouse at Berklee College of Music. He works internationally as a composer and lives in the Czech Republic. He has received several awards for his film scores, including his symphonic composition The Illumination Voices. His influences include Giacinto Scelsi, Henryk Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, Bohuslav Martinů, Brian Eno. He has been collaborating with Austrian choreographer Linda Samaraweerová since 2014. Together they have presented their work at various cultural institutions and festivals in Austria, including steirischer herbst, Donaufestival and Tanzquartier Wien.
Credits
Concept, choreography, direction, performance Linda Samaraweerová Composition Robert Jíša Video installation, dramaturgy, assistant director Laura Samaraweerová Libretto Elke Laznia Performance, choreography Ondine Cloez Singers Andre Angenendt, Liia Krasilovskaia, Jean-Max Lattemann, Maria Mysachenko, Denise Seyhan, Johanna Zachhuber Dancer, dance improvisation Verena Herterich Orchestra Musica Florea Stage design Violetta Ehnsperg Costumes Violetta Ehnsperg, Karl Karner Light design Victor Duran Photography, visual concept Judith Stehlik Artistic consultation, educational texts Cornelia Offergeld English translation Hannah Laznia Camera Judith Stehlik Editing, colour grading Radim Kotěšovec, Linda Samaraweerová Make-up Sara Idranyi – A production by KASAL. Coproduced by Tanzquartier Wien. With kind support from the Municipal Department of Cultural Affairs, Vienna, and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport. Thanks to Huggy Bears, Digitalstore Vienna, Digirental.
VoD available until Fri 14 Jan, 19.30.
German and English subtitles available