Via Negativa: THE NINTH

Photo: Marcandrea

THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL MACHINE powered by Beethoven

“The taming of man has failed”, says Peter Sloterdijk. “Civilisation’s potential for barbarism is growing; the everyday bestialisation of man is on the increase.”

The Ninth strolls through the entire sound landscape of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. On the one side there is a “masterpiece of the western civilization:” “Giant and complex.” “Sublime.” “Striking example of human spirit.” “Triumphant vision of brotherhood.”Beethoven’s 9^th. And on the other side, there’s us: Nothing great about us. Nothing triumphant. Naked and suspicious. Not complex but reduced. Not sublime but explicit. Digital. Switched on or switched off. Repetitive. Blind by the images that we see, deaf by the sounds we hear. Looking for a connection with The Animal.

In his book “The Open Man and Animal” Giorgio Agamben addresses the boundaries between man and animal, between nature and civilisation, and questions the logic of Western metaphysics and science, which justifies the procedure of “humanization of man” in the first place on a systematic suspension of animal. Man is defined only in the difference from the Animal. Animal slowly fades away, and in the identity of modern individual grows bigger and bigger emptiness.

Conceived and devised by the group.

Performers: Loup Abramovici, Grega Zorc, Jaka Lah, Anita Wach, Magdalena Tuka
Concept and direction: Bojan Jablanovec
Choreographic supervision: Anita Wach
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, 1983
Horse masks: Barbara Stupica
Light design: Bojan Jablanovec, Ana Čigon, Igor Remeta
Video: Ana Čigon
Stage manager: Igor Remeta
Producer: Špela Trošt
Production: Via Negativa
Co-producer: JaJaJa NeNeNe Association Warsaw
Partners: Bunker Ljubljana / A Part Festival Katowice / Fundacja Ciało/Umysł Warsaw
The project is supported by the City of Ljubljana and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

70 min

After the performance of  Via Negativa: The Ninth at the Old Power Station-Elektro Ljubljana The Audience Council #1 will occure.

It will be moderated by Jedrt Jež Furlan.

Organized by: Bunker, Via Negativa, Maska in Mesto žensk.

Information and ticket reservation: info@bunker.si
Tickets: 10 eur, 7 eur (students, seniors)