William Kentridge
Ursonate
based on Kurt Schwitters Dadaist sound poem of the same title
South AfricaWilliam Kentridge is one of the most versatile of today’s contemporary artists. The stop-motion animation films he created for the Handspring Puppet Company’s performances in Zurich in the 1990s gave an early impression of his genius. Today he exhibits his works worldwide and stages operas in prestigious theatres as all-embracing art, including videos, sculptures and set sketches. His trans-disciplinary working method is most evident in his solo exhibitions. The Theater Spektakel presents a rare performance of one of his Drawing Lessons (Nr. 2: A Brief History of Colonial Revolts). Devised for a lecture series at Harvard, they are hybrid political artworks combining theatre, film and drawing. On the second evening, Kentridge, who often creates references between Dada and Africa, performs «Ursonate», the Dadaistic sound poem by Kurt Schwitters, together with the rapper Big Zis and the sound artist Julian Sartorius. (mvh)
Artistic direction and cast
| Regie & Performance | William Kentridge |
|---|---|
| Livemusik | Big Zis und Julian Sartorius |
| Libretto | basierend auf Kurt Schwitters gleichnamigem Dada-Lautgedicht |
| Bühnenbild | Sabine Theunissen |
| Video-Editor/Orchestrator | Janus Fouché |
Production
| Produktion | The Office Performing Arts + Film Rachel Chanoff, Laurie Cearley, Lynn Koek, Catherine DeGennaro, Noah Bashevkin, Gabrielle Davenport, Olli Chanoff, Diane Eber in Zusammenarbeit mit Quaternaire − Sarah Ford |
|---|---|
| Auftrag | Performa Biennial |
| Premiere | Festival Performa 17, Harlem Parish, New York City |
| Foto | Paula Court |
Nord
Multimedia-Lecture, Spoken Word
Duration
approx. 60 mins
Language
English
An inclusive event
Note
William Kentridge also plays "Drawing Lesson II" at the Zürcher Theaterspektakel
Thanks
The show at the Theater Spektakel is supported by D&K Dubach-Keller-Stiftung.