Photo: Dobrovodsky
Photo: Balogh Attila
27 August 2023
Starting time: 7:00 p.m.
Prešeren Square, Ljubljana
Performers:
Alisa Novska, Daniel Leber, Ana Hrovat, Nikolina Pirc Hrenič, Toja Tetičkovič Oman, Mitja Lovše, Nina Goropečnik, Tatiana Kocmur, Louisa Serrelet
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The Hungarian intermedia artist Dávid Somló develops in his projects such situations that, by using simple elements, structures, and instructions, enable complex, unrepeatable results. His projects mainly employ sound to emphasise various aspects of the relationship between sound, space and the body and to create an immersive environment without spatial separation between the performance and the audience. Drift, a public space piece that he will perform on Prešeren Square, premiered in 2019 at the Prague Quadrennial Festival and was nominated for the Rudolf Laban Award for the best choreography of the year.
Drift is a project created at the intersection of performance, intervention, and sound choreography. It draws from the urban practice of dérive. It lasts one hour and is performed with 15 local performers who follow »invisible paths« on a large public square or in its immediate vicinity. Equipped with portable speakers, the performers move according to the artist’s clear and simple instructions. The result (based on the performance space) is a specific composition and a unique soundscape. The levels of interaction between performers and passers-by make a playful yet powerful presence in the performance location and allow the audience to reflect on their feelings and behaviour in public spaces. At the same time, the constantly moving composition and organic choreography create a hypnotic and unique audio-visual experience for the observers.
In addition to the direct physical experience, the performance places the public space at its centre; how we move in it, how we perceive it, what we pay attention to and to what extent. The artist creates the interruption subtly, as it eventually becomes evident to random passers-by that something is not quite right. The dramaturgy of the event escalates; it is designed first to arouse doubt, then curiosity and surprise, thereby creating a connection between the performers and the audience and between people who find themselves in the role of observers or become part of the same situation and experience.
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Dávid Somló (1986, Budapest) is a Hungarian interdisciplinary artist focusing on sound, space, and interactions. He holds degrees from the Department of interdisciplinary composition at Goldsmiths College in London and Sociology at ELTE (Budapest). He is a PhD candidate in interdisciplinary methodologies at the University of Fine Arts in Budapest. As an artist, he creates performative experiences to explore the relationships between physical, social, and personal space. He is interested in small, meaningful moments of non-verbal human interactions. His work has been presented at international festivals in Europe, North Africa, and South America: Prague Quadriennale (CZ), Festival d’Avignon (FR), FiraTárrega (ES), D-CAF (EG), Festival XS Bruxelles (BE), Giornate del Respiro Festival (IT), FIME Sao Paolo (BR), Bergama Theater Festival (TR), Immersive Hubs (NL), Sonorities (NIR), Mais Imaginarius (PT), CROSS Awards (IT), NOW’16 (UK), Audiograft (UK), Montag Modus (GER), Contact Zones Festival (DK), UH Festival (HU), Placcc Festival (HU).
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Special thanks for the support of the project goes to Liszt Institute (Hungarian Cultural Centre Ljubljana).
