"We invite the audience to a common space, to a time bubble"

According to the history books, homo erectus had already known fire. After learning language and the use of rudimental tools, fire was the third most important element towards our civilized form of life. However, the fear of fire came only after the domestication of it – maybe they didn’t realize first, that fire is more powerful than mankind. This indescribable, ambivalent, life-saver and fatal ancient element was the inspiration for Csenge Vass, Nora Barna and Rozi Mako, when they created their intermedial performance, URFORM. The project is curated by Andrea Kovács, and will be visible on the 6 October in Trafoklub, on smART! XTRA. The program is part of the Design Week and supported by FabLab.

All of you came from different fields of art. What is the common thread, what ties you together?
Csenge: I graduated in fashion- and textile design, but I was always interested in concept-based situations, which are created in collaborations. The idea of URFORM originates in my inspiration and it seemed to be a good occasion to work in a group as an individual artist. I prefer this direction in experimental situations: different artistic languages meet and create something new, that hasn’t existed before.

Rozi: My field is music and visuality, they always existed side by side in my life. I learnt graphics on MOME, but I developed interest in music. Playing is my job now, and I am very happy to introduce myself as a professional musician. Originally, I played classical and jazz piano but nowadays I write music electronically, alone and with the bands as well.

Nóra: I am a dancer. Recently I’ve been participating in performances, which are focusing on the nature of sharing. How does dance become a collective experience instead of a vertical demonstration, where the audience is not a passive perceiver anymore? For me, the latter goes against the nature of dance. The most important common point in our arts, is that Csenge’s creations, Rozi’s music and my dance invite people into a shared place and experience.

How did you meet?
Csenge: I planned this project as an independent installation but this topic has several different layers, which should be interpreted through different channels. I have known Nóra before and I always loved her movements and orientation in dance. Then I saw Rozi playing on an exhibition, and I fell in love with her style. I always wanted to cooperate with other artists, who understand me without words. We know each other better and better due to the common work and we developed friendship.

Rozi: I didn’t even hesitate. When Csenge told me her idea, I decided in 10 minutes. Our common artistic experience will be conveyed to the audience. Maybe all of us reached to a given point in their lives where we want to share something. Maybe that’s a new era.

The focus of the performance is fire, as an ancient element. How will you represent it?
Csenge: Yes, we focus on fire. How do we perceive fire in today’s world? In what physical, mental and spiritual conditions can this element show off? We shared these questions and realized that all of us have her own meaning of this symbol.

Rozi: For me, the given perceptions and situations are more important than fire itself. Through the creation process, we found parallel experiences, which we could share. These were the basis of our work, and we could develop our individual languages and interpretations through it. Nóra used to live in Brazil, she brought her visions from there. However, the original idea comes from Csenge, who invented the whole project.

Csenge: True, the idea is mine, but it is not only my project. It is our common journey.

Nóra: The experience of transformation and changing is the most interesting part for me. Changes are always uncomfortable, since we lose our stability and certainty in our life. Sometimes it all starts in the physical body and we must feel the essence of an ancient power – might be called ‘fire’ – in order to deal with it. Now we want to visualize it through colors, materials, rhythms, movements. That excites me the most: the experience of a metamorphosis. I find it fantastic that three women, like us can create a conversation about such a sensitive topic. You feel vulnerable and sometimes you just want to hide it, but finally we share and interpret it together.

So can we say that all of you will create an own trans-experience through the given forms of art?
Rozi: Definitely. Csenge sets the installation, Nóri dances, than my melodies invite the audience to a common space, to a time bubble. There they can experience the real, collective presence. Making music is a unique experience, which helps me to concentrate on the ‘now’. The fact, that the three of us starts a conversation, where we reflect to each other will bring a very unrepeatable, complex and exciting collective story.

How will the audience participate?
Csenge: Let’s say that it is a kind of experiment, where viewers arrive to a space, which differs from their everyday environment. The ancient, elementary condition we create there brings the feeling of loneliness. We are lonely in our own art; we create it from an isolated perspective. However, there is a very strong social bond between us, that acts like a channel. When the viewer arrives to this triangle, she/he can feel loneliness and fellowship at the same time. Hopefully, this will help them to experience the elementary, meditative state of mind.

Nóra: We have to digest a huge amount of information every day. In spite of this, the audience will arrive to an environment, where they get a focus to listen. Objects, colors, lights, rhythms and bodies guide you and help you to move and perceive the presence, in a total freedom.

Is it a long-term project?
Csenge: Several new ideas pop up every day, and we always wonder where and how should we transfer the installation. Our session makes us more and more confident and we dare to change, to give up, or recreate given parts of the project, if needed. URFORM is a sketch, which shows the opportunities and alternatives of a collaboration like this. This form is not so well-known here, so it is risky. But if it works, than it will worth the time and effort to improve it.

Nóra: Another interesting question is that what spaces and places are appropriate for this performance. Could it work in a club, in a theatre or in the nature? Or maybe on a videoinstallation? We are searching for different alternatives and forms to improve it.

I guess this kind of performance can’t be repeated twice on the same way. Will you improvise?
Nóra: Yes. Obviously, we have rehearsals, but we’ll improvise onstage. By the way, Csenge won’t be visible in the project, she will install the physical environment where we move and create music with Rozi.

Will you set fire onstage?
Csenge: We won’t light fire, but the symbol will be present, yes.

What are your plans?
Nóra: We would like to bring this brainstorming process to a new context, maybe to an art residency, where we can achieve a deeper focus.