UTOPIAS LOST AND FOUND
The personal journey of An international group of artists through the utopias that shaped each of them, in Scandinavia, Great Britain and the former Yougoslavia.
UTOPIAS LOST AND FOUND led the audience on a journey through the utopias that shaped and still shapes us: From the era of the post WWII expansive, optimistic, visions for society based on ideas of equality, solidarity and justice, through the focus on individuality and competition in the last couple of decades, to the present day where many has lost faith in that change is even possible.
In a vibrant, experimental universe, that mixed live-music, documentary, physical imagery and object-animation UTOPIAS LOST AND FOUND examined the importance of utopias, for the lives we live, and the world we build. And asked questions like: What happens, when the utopic dream, meets reality? When the utopia you took for granted, ceases to exist? Can we live without the faith in the future and power of change that utopian projects offer? The performance was created by seven performing artists from five different countries in Scandinavia, Great Britain and the former Yugoslavia. Based on the artists own longings, lost ideals, struggles, and dreams for the future. From very different cultural and geographical backgrounds, and through their voices, contrasting images of Europe then and now, where lined up- from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to Scandinavian welfare-models and Brexit.
Credit list:
Performers: Rebekah Caputo, Kathleen Yore, Matko Botić, Matias Hedegård Andersen, Petra Kovačić Pavlina & Igor Vasiljev
Musicians & Composers: Matko Botić, Igor Vasiljev, Kathleen Yore & Matias Hedegård Andersen
Idea & Concept: Petra Berg
Directors: Petra Kovačić Pavlina & Petra Berg
Scenographer & Costumedesigner: Igor Vasiljev
Dramaturges: Matko Botić & Lisbeth Sonne Andersen
Lightdesign: Clementine Waldelius
Productionleader, Builder & executer: Peder Flarup
Assistent: Babette Hejlskov McPhillips
Photo: Anna Marin & Igor Vasiljev
Producer: Gitte Nielsen
By ABER DABEI in co-production with Bora Bora
Premiered: 31st.of August 2019, at Bora Bora, Aarhus & 5th. ofseptember 2019, at Literaturhaus, Cobenhagen
Supported by: Statens Kunstfond, Knud Højgaards Fond, Oticon Fonden, Aarhus Kommune & Københavns Kommune
Aber Dabei creates imaginative and inspiring images of utopia and dystopia, in their flickering, deeply musical collage Utopias Lost & Found Aber Dabei last visited Copenhagen in 2015 with the delicate wandering performance “På vej” (On the way) (…) “På vej” was based on interviews, and Utopias Lost & Found also uses this connection to reality. Here however more directly with movie-sequences with people from Europe who isn’t talking directly about utopias, but about their specific stories like the woman, who as a young girl helped building Yugoslavia after second world war and the man who participated in the mining-strikes in England in the 80’s. His story carries, like many other features, both utopia and its opposition dystopia, within itself.
(…) the casts background is Danish, English and former Yugoslavian, which gives their narration a cacophonic, but also very dynamic tone.
The narration (…) has the immense quality, that it grants an aesthetic form to the intercultural premise, that intrigues us by communicating intelligent and engaged to all senses.le sanser.
(…) in a montage consisting of music, song, painting, performance-art, video and object-theatre, tribute is paid to freedom and unity.
Utopias Lost and Found is, (…) like snowflakes, sprinkles that slowly descends in order to depict shattered illusions, and all that connects people across time and national borders. Through video-interviews, relatives to the performing artists, narrates about the idealism that drove them, and about the everyday conditions in the mines of England. With small shadow plays the social-economic development are reviewed. Small object on tables depicts random meetings. On the sidewall Igor Vasiljev paint landscapes hit by war. Salt on a tabletop, creates landscapes and depicts travel. Rebekah Caputo tells about the resilience and courage she had as a child.
The ceiling is embroidered with banners, on which it says e.g.: “Be realistic, demand the unrealistic”. The performers play and sing about unity. Combined they deliver the sprinkles to a small mountain of memories of life, that testifies to the visions of and the belief in the unifying force of solidarity.
Experience the “Brothers of the World”-energy – experience the performance before it is gone.
[…] I think that the artists took a bold path today in “Utopias- Lost and Found”. Instead of leaning towards the experts take on the perfect society, they explored their own history. Examined what carries significance for themselves and their ancestors.
I am very grateful, having seen this rebellion at BORA-BORA today. It brings hope to our part of the world, having lost so much meaning and sense of community.
Aber Dabei skaber fantasifulde og fantasiskabende billeder af utopi og dystopi i deres flimrende, dybt musikalske collage Utopias Lost & Found.
Aber Dabei besøgte senest København i 2015 med den fine vandreforestilling På vej […] På vej var baseret på interviews, og Utopias Lost & Found anvender også denne kobling til virkeligheden. Her dog mere direkte med filmsekvenser af mennesker fra Europa, der ikke taler direkte om utopier, men om deres konkrete historier som kvinden, der som ung pige var med til at opbygge Jugoslavien efter Anden Verdenskrig, og manden, der var med i minestrejkerne i 80’ernes England. Hans historie bærer, som flere andre indslag, både utopi og modsætningen dystopi i sig.
[…] de medvirkende har dansk, engelsk og ex-jugoslavisk baggrund, hvilket giver en kakofonisk, men også meget dynamisk tone til deres fortælling. Forestillingen […] har den helt store kvalitet, at den giver tidens interkulturelle præmis en æstetiseret form, der gør os nysgerrige ved at tale intelligent og engageret til alle sanser.
A vital and evocative community-frieze
(…) in a montage consisting of music, song, painting, performance-art, video and object-theatre, tribute is paid to freedom and unity.
Utopias Lost and Found is, (…) like snowflakes, sprinkles that slowly descends in order to depict shattered illusions, and all that connects people across time and national borders. Through video-interviews, relatives to the performing artists, narrates about the idealism that drove them, and about the everyday conditions in the mines of England. With small shadow plays the social-economic development are reviewed. Small object on tables depicts random meetings. On the sidewall Igor Vasiljev paint landscapes hit by war. Salt on a tabletop, creates landscapes and depicts travel. Rebekah Caputo tells about the resilience and courage she had as a child.
The ceiling is embroidered with banners, on which it says e.g.: “Be realistic, demand the unrealistic”. The performers play and sing about unity. Combined they deliver the sprinkles to a small mountain of memories of life, that testifies to the visions of and the belief in the unifying force of solidarity.
Experience the “Brothers of the World”-energy – experience the performance before it is gone.
[…] Jeg synes performerne gik en modig vej i dag i ”Utopias -lost and found”. I stedet for at læne sig op af eksperternes bud på det perfekte samfund, gik de i stedet for på jagt i deres egen historie. Undersøgte hvad der har betydning for dem selv og for deres forfædre.
Jeg er meget taknemlig over at have set dette oprør på BORA-BORA i dag. Det giver håb til vores del af verden, som har mistet så meget mening og betydningen af fællesskab.