Hirokai Umeda worked with five Hungarian dancers to present his new piece Drives first at Sziget Festival, then at Trafó in September. The performers despite having different dance characters share a common movement system given by the choreographer. They create movement both as individuals and as a unity. The movement is generated both on the human body and in computer graphics designed by Hungarian visual artists. Sharp electronic sound and geometric abstract visuals with dance make strangely organic space.
One of Japan’s most exciting experimental artists, Umeda mixes dance and digital technology to create multi-sensory works at once minimal and provocative. His pieces bear intensive visual elements, the focus of his choreographies is the holistic thinking with a digital background, the constant stimuli of the sensing organs. I want to convey sensations to the audience’ – says the artist.
The creative team - Gáspár Hajdu, Gábor Papp / XORXOR, Ágoston Nagy / Binaura – behind the projection of the theatre piece works on the border of art, technology and design. Apart from their professional technology projects, cooperating with the cultural scene constitutes significant part of their work.
They have been helping the Hungarian dance and theatre world with their creative digital technology developments for many years. They have worked with the Artus Company, The Symptoms, the Forte Company, and the Rita Gobi Company among others.
Their work for theatre includes new media and video art, real-time computer graphics programming, motion capture, and 3d design.
’All of Umeda’s works are a free-minded strall in the rich quadrangle of light-sound-image-body… Blinding digital images flow unstoppably: human bodies in the gleaming abundance of lights, in the captivity of grey and black ‘noisy images’… W are sat there, in the midst of a multitude of virtual stimuli, in the middle of an installation, in this curious interstellar, holistic, audiovisual landscape trying to catch for our breath, holding tight to our seats. We are on a journey.’ Csaba Králl
Hiroaki Umeda’s Kinetic Force Method and the strong technical skills of the Hungarian dancers merge in this performance. The encounter of two remote cultures: similarities and differences in the universal language of visuality. Umeda is in search of the expressions of group behaviours through dance. The preparations for his Hungarian premiere in two phases, in May Hiroaki worked for two weeks. In July the creative team was extended with a group of Hungarian video artists to complete the piece for the presentation at Sziget Festival, then at Trafó House of Contemporary Arts in September. The piece is coproduced by SÍN Culture Centre, Sziget Festival, Trafó House of Contemporary Arts and Pro Progressione Bt.
Drives
Choreographer: Hiroaki Umeda
Performer: Viktória Dányi, Ádám Frigy, Nóra Horváth, Emese Nagy, Csaba Varga
Music: Hiroaki Umeda
Creative programming, video: Ágoston Nagy - Binaura, XORXOR: Zoltán Csik-Kovács, Gáspár Hajdu, Gábor Papp
Sound and Light design: S20
Image Direction: S20
Production management: Anikó Rácz , S20
Special thanks to: Suzuko Tanoiri, Zoltán Kettinger, Bence Samu, Zoltán Csík-Kovács
Coproduction partners: Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Sziget Festival, Pro Progressione Bt,
Holistic Strata
Choreography & Dancer: Hiroaki Umeda
Image Direction: S20
Image Programming: S20, Satoru Higa, Yoshito Onishi
System Design: Satoru Higa, Yoshito Onishi
Sound Design: Satoshi Hama (YCAM), S20
Lighting Design:: Fumie Takahara (YCAM), S20
Costume Design: Ryoko Katayama
Sensing Engineer:: Yoshito Onishi, Richi Owaki (YCAM)
Video Engineer: Richi Owaki (YCAM)
Technical Coordination: Takuro Iwata (YCAM)
Commissioned by: YCAM (Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media)
Photo: Márton Mónus, http://monusmarton.com
One of Japan’s most exciting experimental artists, Umeda mixes dance and digital technology to create multi-sensory works at once minimal and provocative. His pieces bear intensive visual elements, the focus of his choreographies is the holistic thinking with a digital background, the constant stimuli of the sensing organs. I want to convey sensations to the audience’ – says the artist.
The creative team - Gáspár Hajdu, Gábor Papp / XORXOR, Ágoston Nagy / Binaura – behind the projection of the theatre piece works on the border of art, technology and design. Apart from their professional technology projects, cooperating with the cultural scene constitutes significant part of their work.
They have been helping the Hungarian dance and theatre world with their creative digital technology developments for many years. They have worked with the Artus Company, The Symptoms, the Forte Company, and the Rita Gobi Company among others.
Their work for theatre includes new media and video art, real-time computer graphics programming, motion capture, and 3d design.
’All of Umeda’s works are a free-minded strall in the rich quadrangle of light-sound-image-body… Blinding digital images flow unstoppably: human bodies in the gleaming abundance of lights, in the captivity of grey and black ‘noisy images’… W are sat there, in the midst of a multitude of virtual stimuli, in the middle of an installation, in this curious interstellar, holistic, audiovisual landscape trying to catch for our breath, holding tight to our seats. We are on a journey.’ Csaba Králl
Hiroaki Umeda’s Kinetic Force Method and the strong technical skills of the Hungarian dancers merge in this performance. The encounter of two remote cultures: similarities and differences in the universal language of visuality. Umeda is in search of the expressions of group behaviours through dance. The preparations for his Hungarian premiere in two phases, in May Hiroaki worked for two weeks. In July the creative team was extended with a group of Hungarian video artists to complete the piece for the presentation at Sziget Festival, then at Trafó House of Contemporary Arts in September. The piece is coproduced by SÍN Culture Centre, Sziget Festival, Trafó House of Contemporary Arts and Pro Progressione Bt.
Drives
Choreographer: Hiroaki Umeda
Performer: Viktória Dányi, Ádám Frigy, Nóra Horváth, Emese Nagy, Csaba Varga
Music: Hiroaki Umeda
Creative programming, video: Ágoston Nagy - Binaura, XORXOR: Zoltán Csik-Kovács, Gáspár Hajdu, Gábor Papp
Sound and Light design: S20
Image Direction: S20
Production management: Anikó Rácz , S20
Special thanks to: Suzuko Tanoiri, Zoltán Kettinger, Bence Samu, Zoltán Csík-Kovács
Coproduction partners: Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Sziget Festival, Pro Progressione Bt,
Holistic Strata
Choreography & Dancer: Hiroaki Umeda
Image Direction: S20
Image Programming: S20, Satoru Higa, Yoshito Onishi
System Design: Satoru Higa, Yoshito Onishi
Sound Design: Satoshi Hama (YCAM), S20
Lighting Design:: Fumie Takahara (YCAM), S20
Costume Design: Ryoko Katayama
Sensing Engineer:: Yoshito Onishi, Richi Owaki (YCAM)
Video Engineer: Richi Owaki (YCAM)
Technical Coordination: Takuro Iwata (YCAM)
Commissioned by: YCAM (Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media)
Photo: Márton Mónus, http://monusmarton.com
YCAM (Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media)
