Part of Trafó’s transdisciplinary focus Artificial Realities / Daily programme / Full focus programme

Get to know 3 artists’ work, 3 approaches to sustainability! In the framework of Create Sustainable and Artificial Realities Free School with the French Institute and Goethe-Institute Budapest, we are jointly organizing a one-day seminar series by French, German, and Hungarian artists on sustainable scenography.

You can attend just one or all the seminars. Participation is free of charge, registration is required. Please register here: https://forms.office.com/e/wQ5FKNd2Uc . Spots are filled up on a rolling basis.

PROGRAM

11:00–12:30 Scenographies Of The Screen: Composing The Documentary Image, seminar by Arkadi Zaides (BY/FR) 
14:00–15:00 Artist talk with Kristóf Kelemen (HU), Charlotte Morache (CA/DE) and Arkadi Zaides (BY/FR)
15:30–17:00 Encountering Ghosts Of The Past – Documentary Theatre Meets VR, interactive seminar by Kristóf Kelemen (HU)
17:30–19:00 A Material For A Better (Scenographic) Future – Stage Design From Fungual Mycelium, seminar by Charlotte Morache (CA/DE)

11:00–12:30 SEMINAR BY ARKADI ZAIDES (BY/FR) 

SCENOGRAPHIES OF THE SCREEN: COMPOSING THE DOCUMENTARY IMAGE

Arkadi Zaides works as a choreographer, performer and researcher whose projects have been presented in various countries from Canada to China, from Poland to France and Italy.

During this encounter, he will present his choreographic work—from Archive, through Talos and Necropolis, to The Cloud—and will address the importance of screens in composing scenographic spaces that, in each piece, emerge from the act of bearing witness. He will also discuss the various influences that have nourished his work and artistic practice, such as the investigations of the Forensic Architecture agency (Eyal Weizman) and the notion of spectral infrastructures (freethought collective).

Arkadi Zaides earned a master's degree from the AHK Academy of Theater and Dance in Amsterdam. Since 2021 he is a doctoral researcher in the Arts at the Antwerp University, Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, Ghent University and KASK/School of Arts (HoGent). His choreographic work is characterized by an initiative to trigger critical debate, focusing on the embodiment of social and political narratives. 

https://arkadizaides.com/about

14:00–15:00 ARTIST TALK

Discussion on sustainable scenographic practices between artistic curiosity, innovation driven by ecological thinking and scarcity of resources with Kristóf Kelemen (HU), Charlotte Morache (CA/DE) and Arkadi Zaides (BY/FR)

15:30–17:00 INTERACTIVE SEMINAR WITH KRISTÓF KELEMEN (HU)

ENCOUNTERING GHOSTS OF THE PAST – DOCUMENTARY THEATRE MEETS VR

The documentary VR performance Szeánsz/Necromancy premiered at the Blue Chapel in Balatonboglár, the Hungarian underground’s temporary, semi-illegal venue in the 1960’s and 70’s. Its viewers — one at a time — encountered the “ghosts of the past” through the spaces, smells, and textures left behind by one of the most important independent theatre groups of the Hungarian neo-avant-garde movement (later Squat Theatre), while virtual reality was mixed with the possibility of live interaction. During the seminar, participants gain insight into the creative process, including its sustainability aspects, and can follow a complete VR session. 

Kristóf Kelemen is a theatre director, playwright and dramaturg based in Budapest. He creates research-based projects with a documentary approach and various types of collaborative methods. His artistic interests include topics such as collective memory and the unspoken past of societies, the visibility of the working class and right-wing populism. His performances have been showcased at international festivals, including Fast Forward in Dresden, Spielart in Munich, and Theaterfestival Basel. 

https://kristofkelemen.com

17:30–19:00 SEMINAR BY CHARLOTTE MORACHE (CA/DE)

A MATERIAL FOR A BETTER (SCENOGRAPHIC) FUTURE – STAGE DESIGN FROM MYCELIUM

Charlotte Morache is a Canadian-born fashion, costume, and set designer. She studied fashion design in Montreal. Since 2019, she has worked as a freelancer across theatre, opera, dance, and film. She is particularly interested in new and unconventional materials and enjoys integrating innovative elements into her stage work.

In the project of the Neuköllner Oper Berlin, GEGENGIFT, Charlotte collaborated with the Institute of Microbiology at the Technical University of Berlin to develop a stage design made from fungal mycelium composite. The project focuses on networks and the idea of “networking” is also reflected in the way the creative team collaborates and in other aspects of creation, including its visual aspects. Charlotte presents the project and shares her experience working with mushrooms as a material for scenography. She brings along samples of mycelium that participants can touch and examine, as well as photos documenting the entire process.

https://charlottemorache.myportfolio.com/work