THE FIRST ALTRUISTIC PERFORMANCE
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?
“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.”
Additional information
Premiere: 22nd November 2017 at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
Upcoming performances:
Past performances:
- 30th August 2020, at 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana, in the frame of platform TRIGGER
- 7th November 2019, Akademija umetnosti, Nova Gorica
- 17th October 2019, 7 p.m., MIKK, Murska Sobota
- 16th October at 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.m, Lothringer13 Halle, Munchen, Germany
- 13th October at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. (English version), Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
- 12th October at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
- 25th September at 9.00 p.m., International Theatre Festival MOT, Skopje, Macedonia
- 27th August at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Sports Hall Tabor, in the frame of Mladi levi festival, Slovenia
- 20th and 21st May, Urban Heat Academy, Spring Festival Utrecht, Netherlands
- 11th and 12th May at 6.00 and 8.00, Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 16th and 17th March at 6.00 and 8.00, Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 12th, 13th and 14th January 2017, at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 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
- 23rd and 24th November 2017 at 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m., Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana
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 as part of the Urban Heat project
- Producer: Alma R. Selimović
- Photo: Marko Bulc, Nada Žgank
- 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
Critics
- Marko Bulc: First Altruistic Performance (Nika Arhar, delo.si)
- Marko Bulc: Absurd of Altruism (Nenad Jelesijević, Radio Študent)
- Mare Bulc: The First Altruistic Performance (Pia Brezavšček, Večer)
video
MARKO BULC
Marko Bulc a.k.a. Mare Bulc (1974) is award winning theater director and performer based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Bulc creates also as an actor, drama writer and intermedia artist. His works have been presented in Europe and the United States. He was the artistic director of Institute for contemporary art No History (2003 – 2010) and artistic director of Glej Theatre for three years (2010 – 2013).
Bulc is known for his author’s theatre projects such as No History/Known History – Part 3, Study for the Last Egoistic Performance, Last Egoistic Performance, Slovenes Uprised by Slovenes, When I Hear the Word Actor I Reach for My Wallet (co-author Matej Recer), All Together Now! (co-authors and performing musicians Miha Blažič – N’toko, Irena Preda, Polona Janežič, Tina Perić, Jaka Berger in Matija Dolenc), Novo mesto – readymade (performing co-authors Grega Zorc, Miha Blažič – N’toko, Jana Menger, Damir Leventić, Jaka Berger and Andreja Kopač), Back to the Promised Land (co-authors Miha Blažič – N’toko, Tjaša Ferme, Mirel Knez, Damir Leventić).
He ofthen (dramatizes and) directs texts of contemporary authors for exsaple: Čefurji raus! by Goran Vojnović, Most na krvi (Bridge over Blood) by Damir Avdić (co-author Damir Avdić), Kurba (Whore) by Vedrana Rudan, Semenič in Bulc na prodaj Simone Semenič (Semenič and Bulc on sale) co-directed by Simona Semenič, Kaj pa če (What if) and Svetloba (Light) by Nebojša Pop Tasić, The Heart in hand and Zavednozavedno by draga Potočnjak. He also directed his own dramatic text Vse o Ivanu (All about Ivan).
Mare Bulc is the author of intermediary projects: SilentCell Network (co-authors: Bojana Kunst, Igor Štromajer and Janez Janša), P.E.A.C.E. (co-author Janez Janša), Cream of Contemporary Slovenian Art (co-authors Katarina Petrov and Jana Flego), Prêt-à-Portrait (co-author Jure Novak) and Mare Bulc works on Jasmina Cibic. He also acted in fims (Desperado Tonic, directed by Boris Petković and Apoptosis, Satisfaction, Victim, Sandwich, directed by Tomaž Gorkič). In 2016 he directed national Prešern’s celebration. His first and last one.
On the 22nd of Novembre 2017 he made his First Altruistic Performance.
