- VR Performance
- Online participation
Artist Susanne Kennedy’s singular aesthetic and approach introduce a fresh current to the anthropocentric (male-centric) perspectives that ground Western theater norms and creative techniques. In recent years, she has frequently worked with the Volksbühne Berlin and the Munich Kammerspiele, presenting significant works featuring women through a post-humanistic lens such as Women in Trouble (2017), The Virgin Suicides (2017), and Three Sisters (2019). Her co-productions with visual artist Markus Selg, Coming Society (2019), ULTRAWORLD (2020), and Oracle (2020), have garnered much attention for their bold attempts to connect bodies in virtual game-like spaces to the stage.
Commissioned by Theater Commons Tokyo, Kennedy presents the world premiere of I AM (VR), utilizing VR technology to create a theater experience exclusive to the virtual realm. Like the ancient Greeks who visited the Delphi to consult their fortunes, the audience travels through virtual space, searching for an oracle. What might we encounter on this journey? The history of humanity, artificial intelligence, the audience ourselves (“I AM”) as avatars – or something else entirely?
Profile
Susanne Kennedy
Born in Germany in 1977. Susanne Kennedy studied direction at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Amsterdam, debuted on the Dutch stage. In 2011 she was invited to work at the Münchner Kammerspiele. For “Fegefeuer in Ingolstadt,” she was voted Young Director of the Year by Theater heute magazine in 2013. In recent years, she has been based at Volksbühne Berlin and Münchner Kammerspiele, produced “ULTRAWORLD” and “ORACLE” with Markus Selg in 2020. Distorted by masks, playback dialogue, doppelgängers and multimedia, the actors confront the audience with a post-humanistic subjectivity.
Markus Selg
Born in Germany 1974. Markus Selg is a multi-media artist exploring the dynamics between archaic myth and computer technology in forms of digital painting, sculpture, immersive installations, theatre and VR. Selection of exhibitions / performances: “COMING SOCIETY” and “ULTRAWORLD” 2019/2020 at Volksbühne Berlin. For “ULTRAWORLD” he received the Faust Award 2020 for best stage design. He has been active across a variety of genres, including performing art, feature films, and opera productions.
Rodrik Biersteker
Born in the Netherlands in 1986, studied Design for Virtual Theater and Games at the HKU University of Arts in Utrecht. He is an interdisciplinary artist who primarily uses video and interactive technologies in a theatrical context. In recent years, there have been numerous collaborations with Susanne Kennedy in productions for the Ruhrtriennale, Münchner Kammerspiele and Volksbühne Berlin, the latest being “ULTRAWORLD” (2020) for he and Markus Selg were awarded the Faust prize for best stage/video design.
Dates
February 17th [Wed]-21st [Sun]
11:00/12:00/13:00/14:00/15:00/16:00/
17:00/18:00/19:00
Performance times
approx. 30 min.
*Tickets are valid for one performance only.
Venue
Goethe-Institut Tokyo
7-5-56 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
How to Participate
In-person participation | Booking essential. Show general admission pass on entry.
– Number of places: 8
Online participation | Please access the event via the link sent upon your reservation.
Language
English and Japanese
Credit
Game Design | Susanne Kennedy, Markus Selg, Rodrik Biersteker
Programming | Rodrik Biersteker
Visual Design | Markus Selg, Rodrik Biersteker
Sound Design & Composition | Richard Janssen
Text | Susanne Kennedy
Interpreter | Miwa Negoro
Co-Production | Theater Commons Tokyo, Goethe-Institut Tokyo