PROJECT

MARS II (2015)

MARS II is a poetic account of the impact of catastrophes on our thinking. These days ecological disasters, economic crises and terrorist attacks seem to be constantly hanging over our heads. In its obsession with risk, modern-day Western society has sometimes been described as a ‘risk society’, largely organized around preventing risk. Does perhaps the human race have a need for stories of catastrophes in rather the same way as a child enjoys a gruesome fairy story? After all, our focus on a specific threat also activates us: the fear of a possible disaster makes us determined to avert it with every possible means. In that respect every apocalyptic scenario, however likely or unlikely, is a sort of secular ‘memento mori’ – a reminder of our mortality.

In this performance Karl Van Welden works with the impact of volcanic ash on the music and performance of pianist Frederik Croene live on stage. At the outset, volcanic ash particles fall gently and harmlessly enough. After a while, the dark volcanic ash rains down exponentially on the musician and his instrument, slowly but surely transforming the sound and image…

Past Dates

March 2019

01/03
Arsenal (Metz FR)
02/03
Arsenal (Metz FR)
28/03
Concertgebouw/In situ (Brugge)

January 2019

18/01
CC Mechelen/In situ (Mechelen)
19/01
CC Mechelen/In situ (Mechelen)

October 2018

06/10
Nuit Blanche/In situ (Brussel)

September 2017

21/09
cc Hasselt/In situ (Hasselt)

May 2017

13/05
Festival van Vlaanderen/In situ (Kortrijk)

February 2017

22/02
De Warande (Turnhout)

January 2017

27/01
Gessnerallee (Zürich)

October 2016

21/10
Dommelhof (Neerpelt)
22/10
Dommelhof (Neerpelt)

September 2016

13/09
DE Studio (Antwerpen)
14/09
DE Studio (Antwerpen)

June 2016

18/06
Eglise Saint-Etienne/In situ (Uzès)

February 2016

12/02
De Brakke Grond (Amsterdam)
13/02
De Brakke Grond (Amsterdam)
19/02
Kaaistudio's (Brussel)
20/02
Kaaistudio's (Brussel)

January 2016

29/01
Le Vivat (Armentières)

December 2015

08/12
Vooruit (Gent)

December 2016

09/12
Vooruit (Gent)

January 2020

Credits

Concept, direction, sound, composition: Karl Van WeldenDramaturgy: Bart CapelleSound, composition, pianist: Frederik CroeneSound, composition, sound engineer: Vincent MalstafMachinery and realization: Maarten De VriezeLighting design: Jelle Moerman, Reynaldo RamperssadProduction: wpZimmer (Antwerp)Co-production: Vooruit (Ghent), Gessnerallee (Zürich), Uzès Danse (Uzès), Le Vivat (Armentières), IN SITU / TAKT Dommelhof (Neerpelt), La Strada (Graz), METROPOLIS (Copenhagen)With support from: The Flemish Government, LOD muziektheater (Ghent) Thanks to: Piano's Maene

Info

Musical performance / black box or in situ
Duration: 80 min.
Technical Rider: Black box
Technical Rider: In situ
Technical Rider: Black box (FR)
Technical Rider: In situ (FR)