How can you transfer a live performance to an exhibition space? Taking the successful performance (Sur)render by theatre maker and choreographer Alida Dors as their point of departure, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Theater Rotterdam have joined forces to engage in an extraordinary experiment. The multidisciplinary theatrical production will be translated into an immersive exhibition; you will not only experience the performance’s subject matter as a spectator, but will become part of it yourself.
Weaving together dance, music, poetry, and video art, (Sur)render reflects on the systems we live in and the impact they have on humanity and the planet. In this joint production, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Theater Rotterdam are exploring ways to give theatrical productions a new lease of live within the context of an exhibition. The immersive installation at the Kunsthal is a spatial translation of the artistic and social themes running through the theatrical performance. Central to the project is the relationship between human beings and nature: How did we become so estranged from each other, and how can we restore our connection?
“This collaboration with Theater Rotterdam ties in with the Kunsthal’s ambition to explore new presentation formats. The performance (Sur)render left a deep impression on me and I am therefore very much looking forward to what this collaboration will bring. I believe the manner in which this project has come into being to be equally worthwhile: two leading Rotterdam institutions jointly entering into something without first determining what it should end up as. This requires mutual trust, and to me that is exactly what makes this collaboration so powerful.”
Marianne Splint, general director Kunsthal Rotterdam
A compelling set design developed by Elsemarijn Bruys guides visitors through six sensory spaces that represent various stages in the relationship between human beings and nature. The spaces evoke alternating feelings of detachment, oppression, confrontation, and tranquillity. (Sur)render is a journey that invites visitors to contemplate their own position in the world.
Friday Night LIVE x Theater Rotterdam
Each third Friday of the month, a Rotterdam cultural partner takes over the Kunsthal for an exciting evening programme: Friday Night LIVE. On Friday 16 October the collaboration between the Kunsthal and Theater Rotterdam will take centre stage, bringing to life the exhibition (Sur)render in surprising ways.
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