The Flow Quartet Wroclaw 2016
Detailed Notes
Еxcerpt:
... The River Odra. Sometimes friend, sometimes angry, the Odra is the liquid-like backbone to this ever changing city. The river Odra and it’s surrounding parks, streets, buildings and accompanying bridges, will be the centre of focus for a series of events and performances which tell the stories of 20th Century Breslau/Wroclaw, and present creative reflections upon the themes of “diasporas, migrations, immigrations” and contemporary European identities.
The events place the city, it’s citizens and diasporas and concepts of “the others” as the principle performers of the event. International voices and reflections are also active participants and makers of events.
The Flow Quartet
The Flow Quartet is the name for the four biggest projects in Wroclaw, European Capital of Culture, 2016. Combined they aim to tell the story of Wroclaw to itself, to Poland, to Europe and beyond. The Flow Quartet consists of four interlinked projects:
- Bridges - Mosty – June 20 2015
- Spirits of Wroclaw (Opening Ceremony) – January 17 2016
- Flow I and II – June 11 2016
- Niebo (Closing Ceremony) – December 16/17 2016
Conceptual Framework
Each project has an outcome designed for a citywide, nationwide, Europe wide audience. As in all quartets this is a work for four instruments or voices:
* PEOPLE: the voices of artist citizens associated with the stories of Wroclaw/Breslau and the diasporas of the city now living around the world – predominantly in Germany, Israel, Ukraine and Czech Republic.
* SPACE: the public and open spaces, bridges, river, roads and parks of Wroclaw. We have found ourselves repeatedly using the Greek concept of “palimpsest” - a place or object with many half revealed layers, repeatedly in our work.
* SOUND and DESIGN: New music and design has been developed as the result of both intercultural collaborations and a celebration of the palimpsest nature of this city. We have commissioned music and designs from Polish lighting magicians and floating object builders to French Spirit makers, bringing the city as manuscript into dramaturgical relief.
* DRAMATURGY: By combining people, space and sound/design the Flow Quartet presents a story which do not reduce the complexity of this city but rather acknowledges the contradictions, the historic trauma and it's incredible achievements. The projects also explore the city's hopes for the future.
These four voices will intertwine at various points to create complex and somewhat unpredictable pattern. Each movement, each part of the quartet, is designed for tens of thousands of people to enjoy. But these four voices (artist citizens, space, sound/design and dramaturgy) are always present even when only one of them takes the leading role for a few bars.
