Pražské quadriennale 2003

Several actions have been taken towards the development of our theatre architecture in the course of the last decades. It seems like it all began with the incentive we had when architect Fabio Pontedado was awarded the gold medal In the archltocture section in the PQ 1967. Many discussion forums, conferences and symposiums were carried out, including tho participation of lain Mackintosh, and many architecture competitions were organized. The actions have been effective, it seems. Ww received the gold medal for the architecture section again, in 1999. The PQ has always been an important stimulus, and we assume this exhibition in the PQ 2003 may show to the visitor our advances in this area.

The exposition tries to document changes of theatre architecture and space within a highly specific context. Last year's catastrophic floods allowed us to see the theatre architecture of many theatres as pait of penetrative scenography. Daring interventions in theatre interiors unexpectedly changed their character and the ways they are to be used. The earnest and feasibility of "installations" is of a very intensive effect. Real elements, materials and spaces get into new contexts and evoke unexpected associations. And we experience intensity and suggestion at the same time of real material in this illusive world of theatre. Forget the costs and impact of such installations for a moment, a fascinating view of the unexpected (and unique?) scenographlc changes of theatre architecture may open in front of us.

The first part is devoted to Mostafa's works which reflected his great fantasy and future dreams. The second part of the exhibition is the project by young architects looking for simple, economical, functional and symbolic theatre to be erected easily everywhere in Egypt.

The Park of Music in Roma is a space in the middle of the city created for listening to music. Music may be simply consumed here, but the park also incites one to think about music. It is an architectural structure erected of several pieces surrounding three resonant boxes built according to the Renzo Piano's project. The Parco della Musica is located at a place of great architectural importance between the Flamini Stadium (Palazzo dello Sport) and the Little Sport Palace (Palazzetto dello Sport) - both designed by Pier Luigi Nervi. Renzo Piano's goal was to take up work by one of the most famous Italian architects and confront his space allowed for meeting and mutual enhancing with a space intended for mostly sport activities.

The Parco della Musica represents a unique work within the framework of Italian architecture, offering cultural experience in such complexity and by so many specific means for the first time ever. The mission of the Parco della Musica is to offer a meeting place not only of people and cultures, but also of epochs and traditions. The centre of the Parco della Musica is an ancient amphitheatre representing not only a symbolic centre of the complex, but also a link to a marvellous architecture of the Eternal City.

Three halls of the Parco della Musica were conceived as real musical instruments with their typical features. These huge resonant boxes are not specific only by their architectural image or function, but also by their perfect sound insulation. And moreover, they are fitted with completely independent recording equipment. We may find the St. Cecilia Hall providing 2800 seats intended for symphonic music concerts, for concerts by big orchestras and choirs with variable module configuration of the central stage. The middle hall, bearing the name of the recently deceased famous Master Giuseppe Sinopoli has a capacity of 1200 seats and is the most variable of all three halls: variable spaces for the stage and the orchestra allow organising the huge events of contemporary music as well as of ballet performances. The Small Hall provides 700 seats and it resembles a traditional theatre space. It is fitted with an orchestra pit and a raised stage and it satisfies all require-ments of even very demanding theatre stagings.

All spaces and structures including their internal and external environment were created in the Parco della

Musica to fit musical production, as best as possible. And thanks to this. Renzo Pianos Parco della Musica has became a vivid environment in which interpreters and listeners constantly search and find new musical expressions and experiences.

There are more theatre reconstructions than new buildings in Hungary. We present a selection of the theatre reconstructions of the last years. The most important project is the reconstruction of the Miskolc National Theatre. The enlargement of this building lasted from the early 1990's to 1998. We present also a plan of a new theatre: Baltazár Theatre (Baltazár is a com-pany of disabled persons). This is a reconstruction of an industrial building for a cultural, theatrical, educational centre. The Hungarian exhibition presents also the stage machinery and the technical equipments of the new National Theatre in Budapest.

The theme of the German contribution is: use of buildings for theatre, scenic, or other performances which originally were not used as theatres. Different projects show the variety of solutions, approaches and the different appearance which is a result of the unique way to look at the genius loci of the buildings adapted.

Theatre architecture in Holland has a very specific character. Theatre productions travel throughout the country, from theatre to theatre. There are some companies, which employ their own theatre building, but also travel the land. A theatre architect must design tho interier in such away that all forms of art can be staged there. Drama, concerts, cabaret, musical etc. In creating a new theatre auditorium in the city of Zwolle a special firm Peutz was employed, which designed the model of the theatre acousti-cally. This model is exhibited here and may be implemented by other designers in cooperation with the experts of Peutz.

Connecting land and sea, a public platform rises from a fjord. A sculptured landscape voils a direct functional solution. Landmark quality is obtained through a memorable yet discreet silhouette. Tho platform meets the water, renewing coastal conditions in the city centre. Elements of earth, fire, air and water capture distinct spaces. Soft versus hard describes Indoors from out. A sloping roof surfaco has been designed that rises directly from beneath the fjord. It is designed with fractures, stairs, stage roof surfaces and stage-towors as defining featuros to the vast platform that can bo traversed from the sea to tho uppermost levels by the visitor.

1st Prize Alexandria Library, Egypt

The main concept of the Polish exhibition is that theatre may exist anywhere. This idea originated during the PQ 1999 and briefly during the PQ 1991. The exhibition illustrates various kinds of solutions of theatrical space: open-air installations, a spontaneous theatre space located at the Renaissance palace square in Krasiczyn, the adapted ruins for multiple use in Zabrze, a modernized chamber in a church basement created for multi-purpose use, a modernized puppet theatre, and a stage located on the sea side. Each of these may be a multi-functional theatre space, where the change of the relation between space and audience is created through scenography and performance.

Moscow International House of Music was constructed in 2000-2002 as a part of the Russian Culture Center on Krasnye Kholmy on Moskva-river's waterfront 1 km from the Kremlin. The building takes central place in the ensemble of the Russian Culture Center, that began in 1995. House of Music includes the Philharmony Hall for 1800 spectators, the Chamber Hall with 600 seats and the Universal Hall with 550 seats. Philharmony Hall of such a capacity in Moscow was built for the first time after Moscow Concervatory in the late XIX century. Besides performing halls, the House of Music has a full complex for serving musicians, including rehearsal halls and food service. Also there is an Exhibition Hall, music shop and restaurant. The construction of Moscow International House of Music (as all the complex of Russian Culture Center) was realised during 18 months by Turkish company "ENKA" under the management of Gursel Yuilmaz.

The presentation concerns small playhouses in Athens. These small theatres were founded in Athens during the last five years, based on the model set by Karolos Koun's playhouse and "Nea Skini" company's playhouse (dir. Lefteris Voyatzis). These spaces are home to theatre companies either subsidized or non subsidized, usually consisting of young artists engaged in experimental thoatre. This is a flexible architectural type, which is adjusted to normally fixed spaces, of 150-200 seating capacity, with different arrangements and different stage construction.

The historical building in Prešov, built according to the project of Arpád Répaszký in 1881, is the oldest still functioning theatre building only in Slovakia. Until 1991 there was the Jonáš Záborský Theatre. At that time the new theatre was opened and the historical building, which needed radical reconstruction, was closed. The main idea of the project of reconstruction by Štefan Mitro was to preserve the original materials and technical solutions. His design can be characterized as the project of a revitalization of the historical building. In the area, which was not necessary for the run of the theatre, new halls of Theatrical Museum will be built.

For the past ten years the United States Institute of Theater Technology (USITT) has conducted an annual awards program for theater architecture. This program was established to bring public and professional recognition to architectural projects of design excellence. These projects varying in size, thoughtfully resolve the aesthetic, regulatory, technical and operational challenges for old and now theatres. While the awards program is open to theatre projects and design teams from around the world, due to the guidelines for this exhibit, we have included only those winning projects that are from the United States.

The projects included in the theater architecture exhibit represents the award winners from 2000 through 2003, the past four years of this program. The winning projects are almost evenly divided between new construction and renovation, acknowledging the desire to explore the possibilities of new technologies and artistic expression in the world of live theatre and the responsibility to preserve the legacy of historic theatres.

The project aimed at restoring the Palau de I'Agricultura, built for tho 1929 Universal Exhibition in Barcelona as a permanent home forTeatre Liure, dates from the designs and ideas produced during the final years of tho life of the founder of this theatre company, the scenographer and director Fabiá Puigserver (1938-1991). One wing of the building is given over to workshops, store-rooms, offices and other public services, while the other is entirely occupied by the theatre, and its stage and associated spaoos. The uniqueness of the building lies in the modular system integrated into its theater, in which 63 platforms, each 2,70m x 2,70m, can be arranged in a myriad of different ways: from a Italian-style arrangment in tiers opposite to stage with capacity for 726 spectators, to various central and lateral spaces which, coupled with sophisticated technology, permits tho lay-out of the company's original and much smaller theatre to be recreated. In all the layouts in tho theatre (called Theatre Fabiá Pulgserver in honour of its founder), the latest technological innovations rub shoulders with a deep respect for the handmade tradition of theatre scenary.

 

The Schiftbau is an extension to the Schausplelhaus Zurich theatre on the area of Sulzor-Escher-Wyss - a former industrial estate in the west of Zurich. Attached to the former shipbulding hall are several now structures, containing the theatre workshops, studios and rehearsal stages, as well as apartments and office spaces. The hall itsolf - which has been put under the preservation order - houses various cultural activities, such as a restaurant, a jazz club and a largo theatre, allowing productions which would be impossible at the main house in the city center. The complex is a significant example of a contemporary dealing with old industrial structures. Besides its architectonic qualities, the projoct also serves as a perfect illustration of contemporary changes in tho use of European cities: tho implementation of a cultural facility into a former industrial area turns the whole neigborhood into a spot in demand. A sophisticated dramaturgy reveals the juxtaposition of various fields of urban perception, illustrating the Schiffbau in its larger context hence allowing it to be experienced by its own means.

 

The debate between ideology and aesthetic that could have characterized the development of the theatre during the XX century, has been strongly expressed in Argentina in proportion as it has been becoming from one of the richest countries in the world into another poor, with increasing masses of unemployed and marginal people. It was difficult to express only aesthetics on the theatre stages, recreational searching of the ancient magic of the theatre. The stages became more important as tribunes of the reflection and polemics around that society. This situation reinforced for awhile the idea that realism, and even naturalism established the way of expression nearest to that conflict, that was debated on the street. But there also appeared the vanguard that abandoned abstraction and began to express themselves in other ways, by other forms. Argentine theatre spectator has assumed a principal role. He comes to the theatre, searching for answers: he comes to find vital hopes to replace the dead ones that remainded on the way together with redeemed Utopias of the last century. The labyrinth now is the theatre, settled in front of the emptiness of the existence. Maybe at the end of the labyrinth a paradise image of a better life, a human life, life filled with love has appeared.

 

The Theatre of Movement was among the sources of the renewal of stage design that took place in the Ttwentieth century, by way of its quest for new relationships between the audience and performers, in its materialisation and abstraction of what oc-curred on stage, and by relating the space to the movement. Since the experiments carried out by Emile Jacques-Dalcroze and Adolphe Appia in Hellerau (1911-14), there has been an unending process of innovation, from Oscar Schlemmer (Bauhaus) through Rudolf von Laban and Akaravo (betwoon the wars), to Trisha Brown and William Forsythe after the Second World War. Starting in tho ninotoon-oightios, architectural thinking has gained a foothold in movement theatre in Flanders too. Anne Teresa Do Koorsmaeckor's Mikrokosmos in the University Library in Ghent (a building by Henry Van de Velde) and Jan Fabre's eight-hour Theatre as was to bo oxpccted and foreseen were the pioneers in this respect. Such organisations as Klapstuk in Leuven and Do Bowooging in Antwerp stimulated this trend. What we would like to show at this PQ is how - after almost a century of experiment on architecture and movement - choreographers in Flanders today handle space. Performances rather than chore-ographers have been soloctod, on the basis of quality and variety. The emphasis is on the relationship between the space and tho choreography. The works exhibited demonstrate the way designers are able to conceive a high-quality scenic space that brings about a new and dynamic relationship between theme and character.

This is the tenth edition of PQ, and Brazil has just to acknowledge the possibilities of exchange, learning and reflexion that this exhibition permits. The Brazilian designers, after taking part in such a rich experimentation, have never been the same. The PQ changes each four years the routes of scenography in our country.

Brazil brought several examples of their stage and costume design, scenographic studies and exercises for King Lear, from different parts of the country.

Experienced designers, like Márcio Medina and J.C.Serroni come along with the professionals of anew generation, which emerged less then ten years ago - like Gelson Amaral and Simone Mina. They all share the craving for innovations in the use of space, liko Marcos Podroso. All of them salute the tradition of puppetry by Group Giramundo, from Belo Horizonte, and the sconographic school of a popular colobration - the Parintins Folk Festival in the Amazon - from which all the theatre and carnival dosignors in Brazil havo loarnt so much.

Onco again thero is tho chance to tako part in all the sections of the Quadrennial. This year Brazil is taking to Prague some experi-ments of sconography teaching through the work of ACT - Theatre Creation Atelier from Curitiba, under the coordination of the designer Fernando Mares, and again the works developed in the Espago Cenográfico (Scenographic Centre) of Sáo Paulo. In 1999 Brazil was awarded the gold medal for the architecture section, and this time they are showing three projects with different approaches to tho complexity of theatre making. They are also exhibiting the results of the large effort to catalogue all thoatro spaces and facilities in Brazil.

Groups of students from several parts of Brazil worked in a research for the scenography of King Lear and they are bringing tho results of this work.

The National Exhibit displays a view of the works of three different generations of Bulgarian scenographers. It combines well established designers with emerging artists, professors and former students. This choice offers a dual outlook on the Bulgarian scenography today as well as on its future, and raises interesting questions. Inevitably, the exhibit is the evidence of the vast changes, which have taken place in Bulgarian theatre during the last 12 years.

The exposition represents works by selected teams with a similar approach to theatre and scenography. The author is not just the stage designer, but the whole team led by the stage director, who creates the whole image of the work. We may follow a search for common pictures, common language and exchange of mutual co-operation. Different alternatives of groups' set-up allow new specific forms of expression to be established.

The exhibition presents some common, as well as different specifics of these teams focused around several outstanding stage directors, such as Jan Nebeský, J. A. Pitínský, Jiří Pokorný, Vladimír Morávek and Michal Dočekal. These characteristics are both concrete images of personal worlds and a road to intimacy and clear and composing form - a score of individual scenes.

 

The Danish exhibition presents a wide range of Danish scenographers and emphasizes the diversity of the artistic expression, which characterizes the theatres of the country. The elaboration of the exhibition is a "Cabinet of Scenography" - a complete paradise to investigate. In its simplicity and straight lines you will recognize the tradition of Danish design, and functionality mixed with the secrets of theatre.

The exhibited works were made by seven Egyptian stage designers. They were selected to exhibit because their scenery and costumes had great appreciation and acceptance from both audience and art critics. Their work demonstrates unity and great integration between plot and visual aspect of the production on stage.

 

The Finnish national exhibition reflects the theme "Scenography and National Identity". It means to show how the Finnish sce-nographers are using motives of Finnish nature: landscape, buildings, folk, animals and natural material - wood and paper.

The Main courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon has been a mythic performing space since Jean Vilar agreed to play in "this impossible performing space because the history is too important there".

The exhibit presents the main steps of the stage design since the new 2002 setting of the Main courtyard and the stage design of Chekchov's Platonov which inaugurated the new setting.

There have been great developments since the last participation of Hong Kong in tho Prague Quadrennial in 1995. The develop-ment in the arts and cultural environment of these eight years has been crucial in response to tho political and social changes in Hong Kong. The increasing concern of localism: integrating and interactions of Chinese sensibility and aosthotics with Western education, technology and influence. The essence of the Chinese aesthetics such as form (xing), spirit (shon), moaning (yi) and image (xiang) well illustrated the status of vacuity and plenitude in Chinese philosophy. Those elements contrast, complement, and at the same time interact the Western ideas such as realism, simulation and fragmentation. This mixture ultimately loads the present generation within the East/West interaction into a clear picture of how to idontiiy and appreciate the local identities and values. Enhanced with visual media of modern technology, a unique group of Western educated Chinese sconogrnphors will present an exhibit to reflect this particular localism of Hong Kong arts and culture.

 

Exponáty nabízejí prostorovou ozvénu, která je odrazem filozofie nelineárního časo-prostorového kontunua. Nejsou popisné, spíše přibližují prostředí a éthos. Výtvarný návrh hry Nagamandalam, která vychází z lidové pohádky, připomíná vnitřek chrámo-vého svatostánku, navozující pocit klidu. Nalezneme v ném prvky malířského sméru tanka, vnášejícího do obrazů pocit rovnováhy a harmonie. V asijské filozofii se čas a prostor chápou cyklicky, mají počátek a konec. Z této myšlenky vychází i pojetí prostoru, který má mnoho různých podob.

Indická scénografie je ješté stále na samém počátku svého vývoje, protože vétšina původních divadelních forem žádné scéno-grafické prvky nepoužívá. Klasické divadelní útvary Kudiattam a Kathakali se hrály v malém, prázdném čtvercovém prostoru, což vedlo k rozvoji scénických postupů, při nichž má využití prostoru metaforický obsah.

Labyrint svéta a ráj divadla je v našich exponátech všudypřítomný v dilematu člověka žijícího v harmonii s přírodními živly. Odráží se také ve spletitém vztahu člověka k sobě samému a k vesmíru - nejen k fenoménu příčiny a následku, ale k čemusi hlubšímu, reprezentovanému mýtem a iluzí - Maja.

Pro současného výtvarníka je nejobtížnéjším úkolem interpretovat tyto myšlenky na scéné a znovu je objevit v moderní podobě prostřednictvím scénografických forem, které nejsou narativní ani přímo symbolické.

We have concentrated on the question whether theatre reflected national identity. Where does Icelandic Theatre seek inspiration? And whom does it seek to inspire? Is identity or humanity the drive in theatre? Truly audience identify with common humanity, common human experience.

Influence in theatre must therefore be without borders, though our local circumstances might differ. National identity is more of a guest at stage and difficult to point out for someone who is in the middle of it.

What is characteristic of Icelandic theatre and how does one represent that? In the past 5 years there have been some 200 premieres in professional theatres in Iceland. National identity on stage is surely hidden there somewhere, in Icelandic plays by local playwrights and local productions of international origins both modern and classical.

 

The PQ theme, nationality or supernationality, geography and roots, is for Israelis a subject of ovoryday oxistonco, a blooding and painful question. Geographical borders, moral borders, roots and unrooting, immigrants, refugees, occupation, liberation, national identities, religious identities - all constitute causes for many of us to fight, pay a horrible price of life and blood; for some, willingly, for others, through anguish and resistance.

Can our theatre deal with any of these? Can designers? Our exhibition includes somo offorts of thoatro people, In a torn socloty, of Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, people of the Jewish, Christian, Moslem religions and non rollfllous, with unac-countable number of "cultures" and "homelands." Suitcases are always with us, packed with momorios of tho past, ready to bo packed again. Newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and obsessive "tourists." Tho koys are kopt in socrol, safo plncos. Tho keys of the homes, the real home. The houses do not always exist anymore. Tho ownorship is not always clear. Wo Iry to koop our human identities from being lost in the violence. Can the theatre unite where nationality dividos?

The theme of the PQ 03 "The Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Theatre" can be interpreted broadly. We would like to present the Japanese scenography focused on the internationalisation or the scenery design inspired by various reasons such as racism or nationalism. The scenography can transcend beyond such borderlines to mix cultures, to create new productions to give dreams to many people around the world. As we live in such a situation in the world today, we would like to stress once again that the theatre arts can transcend borders of countries. By focusing on this theme we believe to make the new Japanese expression clear to the world. Therefore, we would like to exhibit our works created through international collaboration.

 

 

Korean scenographers have been striving to enhance the perception of the spectator like other scenographers in the world. If the scenographers and the spectators can be fantastically interwined, the paradise of the theatre will not be far from where we are. Korean theatre scenography is about using the power of the vision to transform the text into a ritual space where the spectators could have their unique experiences of perceiving visual images. Ultimately Korean scenographic works attempt to make this exhibition a kind of celebration by matching traditional Korean with Western works, and meeting and exchanging different cultural inspiration between the East and the West.

The Labyrinth. Ariadne's thread. Indoubtedly íor us in Cyprus, the end of the thread, which leads us through the Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of Theatre, lies in Ancient Greek drama - the beginning our theatre tradition and creation. We have'chosen to exhibit samples oi contemporary scenographic creation of Ancient Greek drama as this demonstrates the direct relationship between our national origin, our identity and theatre tradition. All the exhibits are viewed under the light of interaction with other cultures that is an essential element of contemporary theatre creation. Our exhibit, keeping in terms with the idea of the Labyrinth, guides the visitor through the work of four artists to the contemporary artistic approach on the works of great tragic poets. It is important to note, that the Ancient Greek drama productions hold a very significant position in every year's theatre activity and one could say they are the highlight of it. Every year Cyprus theatres participate in the Epidaurus Festival in Greece.

The contemporary Lithuanian theatre underwent some quite spectacular changes in the last decade - the constant and some-what stiff- landscape of the state theatres was enriched by the number of non-governmental theatres, looking for their place not only in the context of the contemporary Lithuanian culture, but in the space of the new and multicultural Europe. They are wan-dering through the labyrinth of new challenges and difficulties of the world, still believing to discover the paradise of the theatre at its end. In the changing context of the contemporary Lithuanian Theatre, the works of the stage designer Júraté Paulékaité is becoming more and more distinct. Hear works of the last decade of the millennium were connected with different directors of the Lithuanian contemporary theatre, but the most essential in her creative carrier was the meeting with the director Oskaras Koršunovas, the most interesting Lithuanian director of the young generation. She became even a co-founder of the independ-ent "Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre", and all her most important works are connected with this company.The recent works of J. Paulékaité ranges from the contemporary ballet performances to the adaptation of well known works of literature the first half of tho XX contury, from tho contemporary Western and Lithuanian drama to classical Greek tragedy.

 

We have thought about all kinds of plans and visions, as to how we could make our installation - our labyrinth - lighter, simpler, more playful, even more theatrical. In some attempts we ourselves got lost, some we could not show here, some we could not afford. But we finally arrived at one of the simplest forms the very symbol of order - the cube. This might not be easy to comprehend, but perhaps it will guide the viewer to an understanding of the creators innermost secrets. And if the viewer has the inclination to play, let him leave us a message, a sketch, or a sign on the surface of the cube. And perhaps in this way the exhibitor and the visitor, the player and the viewer, shall meet

Since 1975, Mexico has not participated in the National Section of tho Prague Quadrennial. This year, six sot and lighting do-signers will present a selection of their work made in the last five years, trying to fill tho spaco that has boon loft empty in tho previous exhibitions. These theatrical scenic designers have begun to generate an important movomont of tho sot doslgn in Mexico, headed by Alejandro Luna who has left a deep imprint on tho Mexican theater throughout 40 yoars of his caroor. Tho characteristic of this movement is that set design has begun to take a significant placo in Mexican productions. As each sot designer works separately, it will be interesting to see this selection of works reunited in the samo spaco of prosontation. This will enable us to compare the influences and differences, the points of contact and tho different approaches of oach dosignor. Being invited to conceive the exhibition like a scenic object, we decided to create this spaco like a sot doslgn, whoro tho user will be able to have an interactive relationship with whatever appears in front of him. Thoro will bo pulloys, cords and buttons to play with in a labyrinth of corridors, windows, screens and doors. Tho visitor will bo able to opon curtains or to mako sot move-ments, playing, for a moment, inside this theater. A black box of possibilities for this Labyrinth of spacos...

 

For this Quadrennial Holland has chosen the designers occupying themselves with Location Theatre. For the last 10 years Location Theatre has played an important part in the scene of Dutch Theatre. Together, directors and dosignors havo chosen the environment outside the classical theatre building. Nature, ruins, an old fortress, a church, a ship and water aro important locations where performances are being staged. The location as well as the performance stagod there presents an experience for the audience. For the makers of theatre the location provides extra dimension and power of expression.

The costume designer, that Holland honours here, is Tessa Lute, who exhibited special designs during tho last 4 yoars of hor life. Holland thought a tribute to her was called for.

In Dunaújváros, a city about an hour's drivo from Budapest, in the late autumn of 1997, Olav Myrtvedt and I are walking along tho broad long stroots whoro only an occasional car is passing, and whenever we see a shop we look for cat figures, for my littlo daughter Is collecting thoso and on my various journeys I try to bring one or several back home to her, and we walk and walk, Olav and I, and no matter where wo look thoro isn't a glimpse of a cat figure to see, and we walk for a long time, we're maybo ovon boginning to got a bit tired and we haven't seen as much as a trace of a cat figure yet and then we arrive at a market whore thoy'ro soiling all sorts of things, cheap plastic toys, second hand clothes, newer stockings, balloons, and also what we're looking for, cat figures. Wo find a cat figure. Wo buy it. In the cold morning, but with a rising sun, we walk further along the stroots of Dunaújváros, a city built around a steelworks which until not so long ago was called Stalinváros, The New Stalin City, which was tho first socialist city in Hungary and eventually, due to history's turning, had its name changed to Dunaújváros, The Now City by tho Danube, whoro tonight, in the city's theatre, A gyermek, The Child, which Olav has done the scenography to and I have wiitton, is going to have its opening night. We are walking through the straight streets of the city, and crossing the squares. A fow years earlier we also did a production together, in Bergen that time, it was a play called The Name, which was stagod at Don Nationalo Scono, but at that time, in Bergen, it was spring, and the production was for the annual International Festival. And earlier this autumn we were in Stavanger, where Rogaland Teater produced the play Nightsongs. at that time it was early autumn, almost summer, and now we're walking the streets of Dunaújváros and it's Christmas soon and we come to yot another market, a moat market where most of the goods seem to be sold out, but still there is a stall with knick-knacks and other figures, among them a cat with plastic flowers on its back, bright but soft blue-coloured. Olav picks it up and suggests that I buy that one, too. I buy that one. too. And then we walk on. and in a shop window we see yet another cat, plastic this time, and that one too has to bo bought, or so says Olav. And then we come to another marked, and even there is a cat figure to be bought. And we walk on. to yet another market, yet another cat figure. In the end there are cats everywhere. I have never seen as many cat figures in my life as there in Dunaújváros. first not a single one to be seen and then they're all over the place and when we return to the quite run down before this socialist boarding house where one lives, I feel much calmer than when I left it even though it now is only a few hours left to the opening night and I now am carrying a plastic bag with a multitude of cat figures in it, among them a bright but soft blue one with plastic flowers put as in a dug-out flowerpot on its back and around her neck a small necklace of quite small red Christmas pellets is hanging.

PART

The installation has been designed as a web of design worlds where the visitor can bring their own experiences and engage with individual thoatro designer's philosophy and process.The visitor's presence will transform each individual designer's space into a labyrinth. The visitors are enticed to create their own personal narrative formed through memory, anticipation and the trails the visitor loft behind. PART is designed to be an active experience of the theatre design process. The installation is a theatre event whoro tho rolos of audience, designer and performer are interchanged; where boundaries can open towards collaborations that parallol and inhabit the world. PART is a reflection of New Zealand theatre design of the last five years through individual philosophy and process.

The exhibit represents the work of Luis Longhi, an architect and sculptor who has been able to combine bolh disciplines to create Scenography. As he explains: "Scenography is the point, where architecture and sculpture meet. As architect, one is trained to create space, as sculptor, one masters the form... When you mix the two of them with sensibility, you will be creating special places, where actors and audience meet and feel the Paradise of the TheatreHis work ranges from sol design in small theatres to scenic spaces created in the ruins of the most important Theatre of Peru aftor n tragic fire.

 

A space with a transparent floor, under which sketches, models, scenic objects and photos are exhibited: a conglomerate of ideas, the ephemeral world of our profession. There will be 12 video monitors on the walls. At the back of the exhibition space there will be a small theatre stage or rather a stage floor surrounded by transparent and mirror panols that should create both, the Labyrinth and the Paradise.

It is the first time when only one person presents Russia on the PQ. The creator of the conception has chosen Boris Messerer to present the leading motto "The Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Theatre". The personality of this artist accords exactly to the main idea of the PQ 03. No matter what creative tasks he is working at - scenography, design of exhibitions or literary-artistic installations - he always demonstrates himself as a Man of Theatre. His conceptions are always calculated on the auditorium. Educated as an architect, he is used to take everything in the measures of streets and squares. Sometimes it seems as if an empty space annoys him. Messerer is always active and full of ideas. However, it is life, which provides him with the matorial for his ideas. Everyday things - bottles, candles, gramophone and dishes - all of them turn to be personages of his everyday dramatic actions.

 

The great Czech composer Bedřich Smetana's The Bartered Bride is one of the best known operas in the world. Though first porformod about 140 yoars ago, it still remains an extremely popular repertoire for people today including audiences in Asia. Tho Singaporean vorsion of the opera keeps Smetana's brilliant music but moves the story from 19th century's Bohemian vil-lage into the Malay-Singaporean region where various ethnic groups of people live together. Largely inspired by the local ethnic people's custom, tradition and all kinds of their colorful celebrations and festivals, it tells a new story of a marriage between the local Chines© and Malay, under the so-called Peranakan Culture. The hilarious wedding, joined by the new couple, their family members local villagers, and the comic character of the go-between (now a female, instead of the original Kezal, according to tho local custom) forms tho most exciting scono in this version. The concept of the stage design is to emphasize the unique southost Asian characteristics with tho special shape, color, the way of decoration, folk arts and all other visual image, while using a modern touch to present all this in order to create a modern opera with the original music for today's audience. The extensive and intricate costumes of wedding garments are an exuberant assortment of batik, embroidery, beadwork, silks, satins and organdlo that truly rofloct tho rich culture of the Peranakans.

The basic idea of the project conception issues from this PQ motto - The Labyrinth of tho World and Thoatrical Paradise which is projected into all three parts of the exhibition. In those three parts the visitor will explore the labyrinth of the artistic world of Aleš Votava, the labyrinth of the theatrical building history and tho paradise of tho artistic oducation of thoatrical youth. The National exhibition presents the works of one of the most outstanding figures of modern Slovak sconogmphy - Aleš Votava - who died in 2001. The period from the last PQ were the most creative years of this scenographer, who was awarded many national and international prizes. The awarded works make the axis of tho exhibition. Tho "reconstruction" of tho awarded sot design for Shakespeare's Tempest (SND 2000) creates the basic architectonic structure oi tho exhibition. Further awarded sot designs will be presented here as well, together with other works by Aleš Votava - such as jewellery, typography and journalism.

The largo, 4.75 motor-high metal structure, a combination of stage-set and costume design, was created by Alan Hranitelj for the production of Igor Stravinsky's opera-oratorio, Oedipus Rex, at the Ljubljana Opera in the season 1997/98. It is an impressive metaphor of man's eternal ensnarement between temporal history and the self-indulgence of gods, who prefer the skies as their place of abode. The mythological story of the King Oedipus is the archetype of destiny which toys with man, the tragic hero who mado tho fatoful mistake (hamartia) of acting against temporal as well as divine laws. And his punishment is blindness in which ho finally soes his mistake, his tragedy.

Tho metallic bird is tho prison of the tragic hero, it is also a metaphor of man's impotence to free himself from the burden which tho egoistic and fickle gods have placed on his weak shoulders. The shiny metal structure is one of the highlights of the Slovenian stage sot design of tho rocont years.

Design USA:

Bridging the New Millenium, we are presenting some of the finest designs produced in Americans theatres over the past fivo yoars. The curators focused on three key issues for this year's exhibit to celebrate the new millenium. We selected innova-tive and stimulating designs that addressed the current trends in stage design in America. These thought-provoking designs exhibit a unique oxprossion of tho toxt in a now aesthetic for a new era. We also looked for strong collaborative efforts between the director and tho designers for sets, lighting, costumes and sound. For many of the productions exhibited we have collected the work of more than ono of tho designers to represent the impact of the production more completely in the exhibition format. Lastly, we are pleased to includo tho olemont of sound design and composition for tho first time in our display, bringing the experience of the exhibit into anothor realm of tho sonsos. Tho visual and aural designs included are exemplary representations of the characteristic that we see shaping American thoatro for tho future. Tho foatured productions were produced in theatre venues all around the country. In many cases, tho members of tho dosign collaboration toam wore based in a variety of locations, both national and international, coming togothor to croato a unlquo vision with thoir combined creative talents. From coast to coast, theatre design in America is proud to ombraco multi-cultural and multi-national influences in the new epoch and in the labyrinth of the world.

Commissioner: Alexandra Bonds
Vice Commissioner, Exhibits Project Manager: Thomas V. Korder
Designers: Nic Ularu, Madeleine Sobota
Associate Designer: R. Eric Stone
Curators: Laura Crow, Principal, Ursula Belden, Robert N. Schmidt, Arden Weaver, Margaret Mitchell, Richard K. Thomas
Scene, Costume and Lighting Design: Ursula Belden, Laura Crow, Michael Lincoln, Madeleine Sobota, Susan Tsu, Nic Ularu
Sound Design: David Budries, Tom Mardikes, Veronika Vorel

The Labyrint of the World and the Paradise of the Theatre

Great variety of our theatre repertoire is reflected in the work of set and costume designers. Different genres are present on our stages, as well as different stage conditions entail different, various and original stage solutions. A labyrinth of reality, life streams and numerous unrests in the society, a variety and richness which a labyrinth of life offers, all have a positive influence on the richness of our theatre life. We have tried to confirm this by the concept of this exhibition and the selection of the par-ticipiants and their work.

We present some oř the most outstanding projects created and established by Catalan scenographers, many oř whom have participated and won awards in previous editions oř the PQ. Furthermore, the exhibition includes some oř the young talents that have emerged over the last few years. All are designers who have been quickly and widely welcomed into private and public theatres and in alternative productions. As if to mirror the generations that have preceded them, the work of these designers is characterised by its ecclecticism and readiness to adapt to all kinds oř dramatic proposals.

The Swedish Exhibition - a black space where models, costumes, photos and properltles show the expression and tho atmos-phere of four different opera productions at The Gothenburg Opera in Gótoborg. The exterior shows a collage of sketches, notes and memos from the working process

The Landscape is conceived as a visual and interactive exhibition in tho form of ascalod-down version of Taiwanese gardon, designed to highlight the uniqueness of Taiwanese culture and thoatro arts. Tho exhibition provides a vision not merely ocular-centric but participating-oriented regarding the relationship of spoctator-onvironmont-action.

The exhibition lakes the shape o\ a traditional garden, combining the concept of the "environment" and "culture". Tho environment refers to the overall combination of natural elements such as Taiwan's soil, plant growth, and human factors. Tho culturo rofors to various theatrical phenomena in Taiwan. The works and installations will be placod in such away as to organizo thorn into a route through the garden as different components of the landscape. Tho exhibition space is thus transformed into a cultural space, a touring space, an artistic space, and a space for deliberating contemplation.

The Landscape defines the term of "identity" as "individual cultural subject" existing in the era of globalization, engaging in dia-logue with the world. As the spectators from all over the world ramble around the garden, thoy bocomo tho protagonist interacting with the Taiwanese culture and environment. Moreover, interactive devices will be provided for evoking human sonsos. Thoroforo, the sensitivity of the spectator will be one of the leading characters in the exhibition which ovolvos from inort objocts to dramatic events as "units of action". The visitors will be receiving a message, delivering a message, and becoming tho message itself, and in a sense complete the whole exhibition. The Landscape is the first attempt to invite our scenographors to the thematically curated exhibition. The content of the exhibition is divided into three major thematic categories:

The Genealogy of the Indigenous concentrates on a brief retrospection of scenography in traditional operas and puppet theatre. This category of Taiwanese theatres takes more direct route to its tradition and presents a sort of "organic style grown from the soil". The Quest of Identity offers a sampling of Taiwanese theatre arts which employ the traditional idioms and the life of people to form personal artistic languages. From historical legend, folk stories and folk arts, local religion to traditional philosophy, the artists distill those traditional materials for their creation and utilize the conceptual techniques of modern theatre to interpret their respective Taiwanese culture.

The Transfusion of Otherness introduces current Taiwanese theatres which absorb influences from outside cultures. The mixture and interaction of the foreign elements with Taiwan's culture have presented a distinct Taiwanese character. Like transplanted "cuttings" planted in Taiwan's soil, some new gene combinations have fostered superior strains, rendering of somehow hybrid, fluid identity categories.

Theatre art in Taiwan, presently enjoys a rich diversity and distinguished characteristics of Taiwanese culture. The country's island setting gives the culture an openness and willingness to accept new ideas and meanwhile maintains its own tradition.