IMPAKT > MUTEK2017

NEW PERFORMANCE
IMPAKT
CREATION: HERMAN KOLGEN
PRODUCTION: RECTO-VERSO + HERMAN KOLGEN

FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH A METAL ROD PIERCED MY SKULL, I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT THE VIOLENCE AROUND US. THE SHOCK CAUSED BY THIS EVENT WAS THE CATALYST FOR THE CREATION OF IMPAKT.
BEYOND THIS BRUTALITY, I WANTED TO EXPLORE OUR PERCEPTION OF THE ELASTICITY OF TIME IN RELATION TO THE BODY IN MOVEMENT.
ON STAGE, PLAYING WITH THE LIMITS OF BALLISTICS, I WIELD A BAZOOKA … SYMBOL OF THE INIQUITY AND BRUTALITY OF OBJECTS MANIPULATED BY MAN.
IMPAKT WILL SPARE NO ONE.

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HOW CAN A BRUTAL SHOCK BE MAGNIFIED UNDER OUR VERY EYES? CAN VIOLENCE BE TRANSCENDED TO ATTAIN THE SUBLIME? THIS IS THE THEME THAT HERMAN KOLGEN EXPLORES IN HIS NEW CREATION IMPAKT. ON STAGE, AN IMPOSING BALLISTIC DEVICE STRIKES A TARGET WITH PROJECTILES. THE SPEED, TRAJECTORY AND IMPACT OF THE SHELLS ARE ANALYZED IN REAL TIME, THEN RETRANSMITTED TO A VIRTUAL BODY PROJECTED IN THE SPACE, WHICH REACTS TO THE POWERFUL BLOWS SUSTAINED. THROUGH LIVE MANIPULATIONS, KOLGEN GRADUALLY CIRCUMVENTS THE EXTREME VIOLENCE AND IMMINENT DESTRUCTION BY PLACING THE BODY IN STATE OF SUSPENSION, WEIGHTLESSNESS, POETIC GRACE.