Too Soon Too Late 2018 | Perform Czech

Too Soon Too Late information package download HERE

“And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Genre: in situ performative exhibition

The year 1918 in the history of East Central Europe is primarily associated with the collapse of empires and the rise of new nation states. In the aftermath of World War I and rapid disintegration of the Russian, Habsburg and Ottoman empires nine new states appeared on the political map of Europe: Austria, Hungary, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Remembering the history of 1918 in East Central Europe also means shedding light on the shared experience that is not very well known in Western Europe. Moreover, 1918 marks not only the birth of new nation states but it stands as a powerful symbol of the desire of so many people in Europe to construct a better future and embrace modernity. The years following the declaration of independence all across the region were the time of profound political and social changes: the time of crafting democracies, testing the limits of mass politics and inventing social state, time of unprecedented mobility from countryside to the cities and unrivalled experimentation in arts, science and technology that continues to inspire people across the globe today. The shattered world order allowed to many women, immigrants, invalids, formerly underprivileged citizens to claim a new role in society. These ambitions were reflected in the arts, burgeoning unprecedently in the new nation states. What have we kept from that period? What is the meaning of avant-garde today? And what is the role of historical memory in arts today?

Too Soon Too Late touches upon these questions through movement. The origin of the in situ performative exhibition Too Soon Too Late was a conversation of artists from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Austria and Belgium, initiated by the Czech Centre Brussels to talk about the past, present and future of Europe and its arts. The resulting performative exhibition reflects formative changes which happened throughout those hundred years in the “new Europe”, and the heritage of avant-garde three generations later. From each of the participating countries, outstanding artists were invited to join the dialogue, thus bringing various perspectives in unique forms. The audience will be offered to walk freely in this environment and watch short dance pieces, performative actions and video installations, taking place continuously in loops for 90 minutes. Everyone is free to watch one action or another and set his or her own order of the things happening within the installation.

Too Soon Too Late is part of the cycle “1918, European Dreams of Modernity – 100 Years On” prepared by the Brussels cultural centre BOZAR for 2018 in association with cultural institutes, or permanent representations and local partners in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Romania, and Lithuania.

This project is a co-production that includes artists from seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Belgium, it is coordinated by the Arts and Theatre Institute in Prague and an artistic and technical team formed by reknowned Czech artists.

Participating artists:

Miřenka Čechová & Markéta Vacovská (Czech Republic)
Monika Drożyńska (Poland)
Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre: Katarzyna Chmielewska, Jakub Truszkowski, Leszek Bzdyl, Katarzyna Ustowska, Anna Steller, Piotr Stanek (Poland)
Zsolt Sőrés (Hungary)
Florin Flueras (Romania) & Brynjar Åbel Bandlien (Norway)
Agnija Šeiko, Gintarė Marija Ščavinskaitė (Lithuania)
Aldina Michelle Topcagic (Austria)
Stanislav Dobák (Slovakia) & Jamie Lee (Belgium/Australia)
Ballets Confidentiels: Johanne Saunier, Ine Claes (Belgium)

Artistic and technical coordination:

Tomáš Procházka, Cristina Maldonado, Jan Kalivoda, Martina Pecková Černá, Viktorie Schmoranzová (Czech Republic)
Thanks to Iulia Popovici (Romania) for her contribution to the title of this project.

Tomáš Procházka is an independent artist engaged in theatre, performance, music and intermedia. He works as a sound designer, musician, performer and director for many independent projects in the Czech Republic and abroad and is a member of numerous international music projects (Gurun Gurun, Radio Royal, Krekso and many others). Tomáš is also a researcher and journalist, music producer and curator. He is founder of the theatre group HANDA GOTE research & development and teaches in the Directing and Devised and Object Theatre departments in the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU).

Cristina Maldonado is a Mexican performer, director and devised theatre artist based in Prague, who combines experimental theatre, dance, live video interventions, participatory art, and new and old media in site specific projects, staged performances and installations. Since 2003, she has been presenting her work in Europe and Latin America. Her work has been supported by the National Fund for Culture and Arts grant programme for choreographers, performers and directors (1999, 2003, 2008, 2012-2014). She teaches on the MA Directing of Devised and Object Theatre programme at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU).

MAIN ORGANIZERS

Czech Centre Brussels
Arts and Theatre Institute, Czech Republic
www.performczech.cz
BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels

PARTNERS