Circus of Truth

CIRCUS OF TRUTH (2018)

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Collaboration with Mira Calix, Natalya Pershina, Olaf Nicolai, Asad Raza and Sislej Xhafa. ​Curated by Dessislava Dimova for Bozar, Brussels.

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It all began as an unnamed experiment in collaboration. Convening in Brussels was appening in a general climate of uncertainty about the notion of a common Europe. In this context a collective effort could not remain neutral and questions about art’s historically troubled position between autonomy and instrumentalisation were constantly resurfacing in the discussions.

 

Circus of Truth was the result of this multifaceted experiment. An evening of performances, music, dance, political speeches, and a bar serving shots of truth. It was both a celebration of the collaborative experience and a sharp reminder of the realities which shape the horizons of our shared life today. Facts, alternative facts, manipulation, propaganda – or more generally the politics of information, are all part of the circus in the midst of which all collective effort has to seek its own trust.

 

Circus of Truth consisted of ten acts. Some of them continuous actions throughout the evening, while others were punctual performances.

 

The Garden of Propaganda Flowers: a parade of flowers, presented by a botanist, each of them tells a story, equally botanical as personal, political and symbolical.

 

Victor and Jeff – The Two Rabbits: two human sized rabbits plays table tennis, but sound and movements seem out of sync. Their game is more like a dance staged for the public, their movements tied to one another, literally, dependent and un-free.

 

As it befits to a circus, clowns were present. Three Clowns named Shit, Truth and Alternative, interacted with the public, vainly attempting to warn them about an imminent catastrophe, while the workshop "How to Be a Clown" offered to interested visitors the possibly comic exercise of attempting to leave a room.

 

In yet another space the most beautiful sweater in the world was a shadow, where two women knit and un-knit a sweater in a permanent movement.

A Ballet of a Snowflake and a Unicorn will put us in the midst of Brexit propaganda language – the Snowflake Brexiteers and the remainers Unicorns.

 

In The Rethoric of Dust two political speeches on the concept of “dust”, written by political speechwriter Vincent Stuer, was performed by unexpected voices from the public, in a rhetorical encounter.

 

The night evolved under the sound of an invisible Band and ended in silence with the choir of Whirling Wind, performed in sign language.