BRAVE NEW BODY
Corporate dystopia / Probiotic ecotopia for voices
“Brave New Body” is a result of an unexpected collaboration between two eccentric artists – composer Arturas Bumšteinas and artist Žygimantas Kudirka.
Combining social criticism, science fiction and absurd genre, this corporate dystopia for voices addresses the ever-problematic relation of human being towards his/her body. Illusions rendered by diverse industries form unfounded expectations as to how we should look, while our presence on social networks results in an endless comparison of own body against numerous other bodies. Paradoxically, we often strive to be similar to non-existent, digitally altered body images.
Do not worry. Corporate dystopia will reveal a new technology allowing to transfer oneself into another body or the body of another. Hypnotic polyphonic “sutartinės” will serve a kind of anaesthetic while lying under the “beauty knife”, submerging into a dream invoked by deep sedation. You will see perhaps a vision, prophetic perhaps, where the humanity of the future finally finds a way to get rid of the ever unsatisfactory biological bodies and acquire “brave new” ones.
It seems to be the promised land where the souls soar free, acquiring any desired form. You have become a racing motorcycle and feel way sportier? You have turned into an air humidifier and your inner self is full of harmonious tranquillity? Having transformed into most unexpected things and gadgets the souls celebrate their liberation from the old body, singing “sutartinės” about their new being. At first glance – it is a never-ending feast celebrating brave new bodies. And yet, what was it that encouraged to get rid of that unique, nearly miraculous biological body capable of curing its wounds and grow broken bones together?
Script, action: Žygimantas Kudirka
Music, action: Arturas Bumšteinas
Action assistant: Giedrė Kriaučionytė
Choirmaster: Algimantas Kriūnas
Costumes: Juozas Valenta
Graphic design: Mindaugas Gavrilovas
VJ: Vytautas Narbutas
Lights: Julius Kuršis
Sound: Ignas Juzokas
Producer: Operomanija
Performers: Choir artists of state ensemble Lietuva – Ilona Pliavgo, Viktorija Šedbaraitė, Rima Žukauskienė, Laura Stančikaitė, Irena Kerulienė, Gintarė Kulikauskytė, Daiva Čepulionienė, Estera Paukštytė-Penkaitienė, Saulius Vasiliauskis, Zenius Sakalauskas, Osvaldas Petraška, Ramūnas Juknevičius, Donatas Kaikaris, Rokas Jasikas
Composer Arturas Bumšteinas: “It is a vocal score written on the basis of the principles of authentic sutartinės, dedicated to constellations of performers narrating stories from the near future. Sutartinė represents an archaic model of social dynamics; it is interesting how that will work within the context of corporate aesthetics/ethics”.
Scriptwriter Žygimantas Kudirka: “The piece merges naïve human emotions and strict technical jargon, fascination with new body functions and the longing for fading memories of biological body. Sutartinės will lure you as digital songs of the sirens, they will lead you through smart forest as a GPS, but they will not show you the exit”.
Duration: 60 minutes
Premiere: October 19, 2022, Arts Printing House, 8th Contemporary Opera Festival NOA
In Lithuanian with English surtitles
