Bitef

Boris Bakal

EX-POSITION (PROCESS_CITY 02) The urban theatre project Ex-position is based upon the essay Judgement Day by the italian philosopher Giorgio Agambena, and is inspired by Kafka's parabie Befare the Law.There are numerous other references: Jeunet's film Amelie, Welles's film The Trial, Shakespeare's King Lear, the work of the German choreographer Felix Ruckert, the poetry of Danijel Dragojevic, as well as the earlier Shadow Casters productions. The project Ex-position (process_city 02) continúes the three part cycle begun wìth Process_city 03. Among the basic ideas of the cycle is the reinscription of Kafka's "metaphysical" territory within the actual politicai and philosophical postulates of his life and work. The exchange between Kafka and Welles is used as a starting point for a dialogue about the work in space and space in the work, the aim of which is to get through to that secret, unknown and inaccessible topos where Kafka's work resides, situated at the very heart of the tradition of European art. All the existing parts of Kafka's novel The Trial are included at the dramaturgical level of the production.The spirai iabyrinth of totalitarianism, that Kafka's material cryptically hints at, is, however, nothing but the result of "bad habits"of the individuai and hisfear of discontinuity.The project confidently touches upon all the key topics of its references: loss or weakening of individuai responsibility, contingency as ethical choice, displacement of the gaze, morality of choice and of subjection, hierarchy of valúes...

On thè digital territory of process_city, several strategies are being tested: on thè one hand, a digital eye surveys the protagonists in real time and space, like classic surveillance cameras. On the other, the cameras make use of close-ups, which are, in their turn, counterpoised, juxtaposed or complementary to the actual goings-on in psychological and semantic terms. In the next phase, the scenes occurring in real time and space in front of thè spectator are fractalised: by proliferation and/or merging of fractals, new entities are created. The notorious application of digital mirrar turns toward the metaphysical in process_city - the pixel-gaze becomes soothed and diffused. The production makes use of the outer and inner space of the factory Corica. Por the audience, the performance Starts with the individual choice of itinerary on the basis of available data. | The spectator negotiates thè performance with thè performer. The artists take thè audience for a theatre ride, that lasts at least " fifteen minutes, but can likewise go on for hours. As opposedi to the classical theatre perception, where eyesight is taken for I granted, this project draws upon the exploration of the inner | gaze in Felix Ruckert's production Secret Service, featured at Eu- Í rokaz #lB, which establishes a rapport oftrust with thè audience I out of nothing, bringing them into a state in which they become 1 conscious of their most intimate inhibitions, thè various spheres I of repressed sensory experience, from sheer comfort to utter«" discomfort, ln contrast to Ruckert's work, however, Ex-Position * has a more or less clearly defined content, the sphere of interac- 1 tion is controlled by the performer, the valué of his story and his skill in recalling the experience, even the chemistry between him and the spectator.