Marko Bulc: The First Altruistic Performance

Marko Bulc: PRVA ALTRUISTIČNA PREDSTAVA, Stara mestna elektrarna, nov.2017

Photo: Nada Žgank

“Altruism is defined as a behavior where one helps others without expecting anything in return.”

 “Altruistic suicide is defined as sacrifice of one’s life to save or benefit others.”

 “In the event of a loss of cabin pressure in an airplane, please fit your own mask before helping others.”

 “In some human communities, it is typically the adults and the healthy who eat first. Any remaining food is then left for the children and the sick.”

 “A chock or a wedge is a simple device, usually in the form of triangular prism, used for separation, leveling or firmly installing something.”

The first altruistic performance is a solo performance by Marko Bulc, created a decade after his last solo project entitled The last egoistic performance. This time, the author deals with the topic at the opposite extreme – altruism.

The first altruistic performance is based on the author’s frustration and dissatisfaction with most of the so‑called artivistic projects (including his own), which exploit unfortunate, unjust, illegal, and similar miserable situations of the other and the others for self‑promotion and to strengthen their artistic ego, while being for the most part self‑sufficiently confined within the boundaries of the art system.

Bulc has entered the process through two forms of training – workshops and seminars – held in Munich, Lisbon, Dro, London, and Maribor as part of the Urban Heat project, learning about different artivistic practices in the urban environment, as well as through practical training for lecturer‑guide at the Urban Culture Institute in Ljubljana, which organizes alternative urban walks around Ljubljana, including Ljubljana Alternative Tour, which is now actually led by Marko Bulc.

Although Bulc decided to make a performance about altruism, he did not invite his colleagues to join him. He wanted to do everything by himself. And he did. And in the end, he also collected the fees of the potential co-creators of the performance. One for everything, one for all!  Does this seem altruistic?

Credits

Director, choreographer, stage designer, costume designer, light designer, music author and performer, text writer, and performer: Marko Bulc
Technical director: Igor Remeta
Production of scenography: IKEA, Igor Remeta, Duško Pušica
Produced by: Bunker, Ljubljana v okviru projekta Urban Heat/as part of the Urban Heat project
Producer: Alma R. Selimović
Photo: Marko Bulc
Public relations: Tamara Bračič Vidmar
Design: Tanja Radež
The performance was made possible by: Ministrstvo za kulturo RS, Mestna občina Ljubljana, Urban Heat, Evropska unija – program Ustvarjalna Evropa

Performances

Premiere: 
22nd November 2017 at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana

Upcoming performances:
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Past performances: 
23rd and 24th November 2017 at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
29th November at 4.00 p.m., 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. at Narodni dom Maribor, in the frame of Drugajanje festival and in collaboration with 4th season of contemporary performing arts programme Nagib na oder and Cultural Bazaar Maribor
12th, 13th and 14th January 2017, at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
16th and 17th March at 6.00 and 8.00, Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
11th and 12th May at 6.00 and 8.00, Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
20th and 21st May, Urban Heat Academy, Spring Festival Utrecht, The Netherlands
27th August at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Sports Hall Tabor, in the frame of Mladi levi festival, Slovenia
25th September at 9.00 p.m., International Theatre Festival MOT, Skopje, Macedonia
12th October at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
13th October at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. (English version), Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
16th October at 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.m, Lothringer13 Halle, Munchen, Germany

Critics

Marko Bulc_First Altruistic Performance_Rating by Nika Arhar, delo.si

Marko Bulc_Absurd of Altruism_Review of the performance by Nenad Jelesijević, Radio Študent

Mare Bulc_The First Altruistic Performance, Review by Pia Brezavšček, Večer

Video

Video by: Gregor Gobec

Photos

Photo: Nada Žgank