Tin Grabnar, Tjaša Bertoncelj: STILL LIFE
Tin Grabnar masters a wide range of theatre approaches, devised theatre is his forte, he creates for both young people and adults, most often involved in collective creations. Tjaša Bertoncelj graduated philosophy and sociology of culture; she works also as a dramaturg – her Master’s thesis was on nihilism and theatre that is a perfect theme combination for this piece.
Still Life is a performance that takes its context seriously – it was created at the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, in the space where they animate. The performance deals with human duality towards the living world, using taxidermy or stuffing – a »metaphor for the love of nature. But it can also serve as a metaphor for social ignorance and anthropocentric exploitation of nature.« The well-known dichotomy of putting plush bunnies in children’s cribs and arms, while raising animals for food and shooting them in the wild. The strong points of the performance are landscapes created on stage, and soundscapes that lead us through the ambiences of the world and poke into our inner landscapes of silence, wind, heat and uneasy emptiness or serenity of the forest – even before we notice the wiggling snouts and tails. There is no more intriguing topic than life and death – perhaps this is the appeal of animation… But to animate a thing that was once alive – even more, a thing that had a life that was most likely ended by a man?
In the corona times, Still Life can also be seen as an exercise in peace and experiencing nature – a still life… In theatre, we live and experience together. Who then is the rabbit who gets up with the help of animators and looks at us from the stage… And who are we?
Authors: Tin Grabnar, Tjaša Bertoncelj
Director: Tin Grabnar
Dramaturg: Tjaša Bertoncelj
Performers: Asja Kahrimanović Babnik, Iztok Lužar, Zala Ana Štiglic
Set design: Sara Slivnik
Costume design: Sara Smrajc Žnidarčič
Music: Mitja Vrhovnik Smrekar
Sound design, sound and music effects: Eduardo Raon
Puppet technologist: Zoran Srdić
Video: Vesna Krebs
Light design: Gregor Kuhar
Co-produced by: Lutkovno gledališče Ljubljana, Flota, zavod Murska Sobota, Flota, Ljubljana
Supported by: Evropska unija – Program Ustvarjalna Evropa, Kultura, ACT – Art, Climate, Transition
60 minutes
Performance is in Slovenian with English surtitles.
Photo by: Jaka Varmuž
Information and ticket reservations: info@bunker.si, 00386 51 269 906.