by Susanne Kennedy & Markus Selg
in collaboration with Rodrik Biersteker
June, 17th: 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8;00pm
June, 18th: 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8;00pm
June, 19th: 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8;00pm
Performance in English, with available Polish text
Welcome to the other side: theater in virtual reality. In “I AM (VR)”, Susanne Kennedy and Markus Selg, in collaboration with Rodrik Biersteker, explore new immersive theatre dimensions. The spectators are invited to dive into a virtual world. Only after the awareness of this new reality over several stages has been heightened is the time ripe for an encounter with the oracle. The future appears in the algorithms of fractals. What question do you want to ask the oracle?
Susanne Kennedy & Markus Selg
Susanne Kennedy & Markus Selg work together since 2016. In recent years, they have frequently worked with the Volksbühne Berlin and Münchner Kammerspiele. Kennedy is a theatre director whose singular aesthetic and approach introduce a fresh current to male-centric perspectives that ground Western theatre. In her works, distorted by masks, playback dialogue, doppelgängers and multimedia, the actors confront the audience with the question: what does it mean to be human? Selg is a multimedia artist exploring the dynamics between archaic myth, digital technology and consciousness. In his works, he examines the implications and possibilities of living in an insubstantial, virtual world, a world that has gone through complete codification and turned into a steady flow of information. Their joined works include: Angela (a starange loop), I AM (VR), ULTRAWORLD, Algorithmic Rituals.
CREDITS
Concept and Design: Susanne Kennedy, Markus Selg, Rodrik Biersteker
Programming: Rodrik Biersteker
Visual Design: Markus Selg, Rodrik Biersteker
Sound Design & Composition: Richard Janssen
Text: Susanne Kennedy
Dramaturgy: Tobias Staab
Voices: Susanne Kennedy, Ixchel Mendoza Hernandez, Frank Willens, Ibadet Ramadani
Avatars: Ixchel Mendoza Hernandez, Benjamin Radjaipour, Thomas Hauser
Costume: Teresa Vergho
Production: Ultraworld Productions
Management and Distribution: Something Great
Co-Production: Berliner Festspiele, Hybrid Box / Hellerau – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste, Internationales Sommerfestival Kampnagel, Münchner Kammerspiele, Noorderzon Festival of Performing Arts & Society, Schauspielhaus Bochum / Oval Office, Theater Commons Tokyo, Volkstheater Wien
Susanne Kennedy (Germany, 1977) studied direction at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Amsterdam, debuted on the Dutch stage. In 2011 she was invited to work at the Münchner Kammerspiele. For “Fegefeuer in Ingolstadt,” she was voted Young Director of the Year by Theater heute magazine in 2013. In recent years, she has been based at Volksbühne Berlin and Münchner Kammerspiele, produced “Ultraworld” and “Oracle” with Markus Selg in 2020. Distorted by masks, playback dialogue, doppelgängers and multimedia, the actors confront the audience with the question: what does it mean to be human?
Markus Selg (Germany, 1974) is a multimedia artist exploring the dynamics between archaic myth and computer technology in forms of digital painting, sculpture, immersive installations, theatre and VR. Selection of exhibitions / performances: “Coming Society” and “Ultraworld” 2019/2020 at Volksbühne Berlin. For “Ultraworld” he received the Faust Award 2020 for best stage design. He has been active across a variety of genres, including performing art, feature films, and opera productions.
Rodrik Biersteker (Netherlands, 1986) studied Design for Virtual Theater and Games at the HKU University of Arts in Utrecht. He is an interdisciplinary artist who primarily uses video and interactive technologies in a theatrical context. In recent years, there have been numerous collaborations with Susanne Kennedy, the latest being “Ultraworld” (2020) for he and Markus Selg were awarded the Faust prize for best stage/video design.
