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29/4/2009

Kunstenfestivaldesarts 2009

Different venues, Bruxelles

When the Kunstenfestivaldesarts becomes part of the fabric of Brussels for a period of three weeks, it will open up an “alternative” space and time for those willing to take up the challenge. The festival will present some thirty new works by international artists, a series of daring and fascinating pieces which are remarkable for their formal originality as well as for the relevance of what they have to tell us – a carefully composed range of works, then, but not necessarily harmonious, and certainly not monotonous. Through performances, installations and films from around the world, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts aims to record the world we live in.
A world caught up in overproduction, and a society caught up in overconsumption. In cultural matters, too, the supply is endless. The constant need to outdo the competition has created interchangeable products and discourses. Artists often serve to confirm arguments from the social or political field, or to rehash old ideas. But the Kunstenfestivaldesarts wants to avoid set thematic guidelines or clearly defined aesthetic precepts. Its aim, rather, is to trigger correspondences, to facilitate exchanges between works and people wishing to encounter new ideas. The festival stands for openness and curiosity about what artists have to tell us, and, as a result, what they might reveal about the world and how to live in it.

These past months, the free market economy and other virtual constructs reached their limits, triggering panic and confusion: what can we still think of as real, and how can we refer to it? Do we have to rely on what we can see with our own eyes and hold in our hands? Numerous artists on this year’s programme have chosen to address the audience directly and up close. But the search for authenticity and truth also raises questions about “realistic” modes of representation and the ambiguities they create. The pseudo théâtre-vérité (documentary theatre) of Kornél Mundruczó puts us in an unsettling relation to what is being shown, while the artist’s ambition to represent the real and to be true takes a serious beating. Appearances are deceitful, and sight is loaded with prejudices: recent work by videographers Dias & Riedweg uncovers the cultural reflexes at work when we look at the “Other”, the one we don’t know.

The duality of the real and the fabricated is a recurrent theme. Laura van Dolron’s “simpleton” has trouble defining his authenticity, while Antonia Baehr’s Rire goes so far as to question the spontaneity of an emotion. Characters such as children, outsiders and those who have been declared “irresponsible” often spark off an exploration of the fine balance between what is morally acceptable and what is not. Recent work by Romeo Castellucci and Back to Back Theatre presents dreadful confrontations in this respect.

But a longing for optimism also runs through this year’s festival. The world today is not in the best of shape, of course. But that hasn’t prevented Pieter De Buysser & Jacob Wren and Dominique Roodthooft from proposing a state of mind where it is possible to escape the paralysis of despair and move beyond any hampering negativity, where criticism does not exclude hope or the desire for change. From a new creation by the Argentinian Federico León to that of the Congolese Faustin Linyekula, shaping the future seems to be the order of the day! Let’s also point out a recurrent tribute to the main interpreter of all artistic creations: the spectator. Mart Kangro has created a show that attempts to fulfil the spectator’s expectations, while Roger Bernat places the spectator at the centre of a performance structured around a game of questions and answers. Finally, Jérôme Bel will take to the stage to tell the story of his key experiences as... a spectator.

In presenting these 35 projects, mostly new works co-produced by the festival and including 17 creations, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts wishes to awaken the audience’s curiosity. These projects will be shown in some twenty theatres, cultural centres and public spaces throughout the city. They have been made possible thanks to the generosity and commitment of our many partners to whom we wish to extend our warmest thanks. A festival is also about what happens between the performances. So, as you move from one venue to next and reflect on what you’ve seen, come and share your reactions at Les Brigittines, this year’s festival centre. A festival is an invitation to observe the world as well as ourselves, and to learn from what we have seen. This is what we believe, and what we wish to share with you!

Image: Anna Rispoli

Press contacts:
Anne-Sophie Van Neste responsable
annesophie@kfda.be + 32 (0)2 2264579
Thomas Cardon assistant
thomas@kfda.be + 32 (0)2 2264578

Opening 30/04
Over the past weeks our team has spared no effort to prepare the festival in the smallest details, and by tomorrow night it will be time to raise the curtain! Kornél Mundruczó will kick off the festival at 20:00 on Walenplein / Place des Wallons, and at 20:15 Boris Charmatz will present his ‘danseuse malade’ at the Théâtre National. Head for the Vossenplein / Place du Jeu de Balle at 21:00 if you wish to take part in Roger Bernat’s life-size board game.

The Brussels collective Rotor has built an impressive temporary structure in and around Les Brigittines, this year’s festival centre, where you can grab a bite to eat and have a drink. Anna Rispoli will add a touch of style to the opening night with Vorrei tanto... (22:30) and shortly after that there will be a remarkable intervention by C&H.

Drinks will be served at 22:45 in Les Brigittines and at 23:00 Recyclart will open its doors to the powerful afropunk and irresistible electropop of The Holloys (us), Marcus (be), and dj's Kwak (Strictly Niceness) and SVN (Ancienne Belgique). After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

Tickets and reservations from 20/3
8-10 Rue des Princes B-1000 Brussels
Tel +32 (0)70 222 199 / Fax + 32 (0)70 222 209

Advance sales
Tuesday to Saturday > 11:00 – 18:00
During the festival
Daily > 12:00 – 19:00

# Festivalcentre:
Les Brigittines
Petite rue des Brigittines 1000 Brussels

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