Composer Ezequiel Menalled and theatre maker/philosopher Luz Lassizuk present Three degrees from reality (TDFR) a new interdisciplinary performance that combines music, theatre, philosophy and innovative technology with audience participation. This collaboration between Ensemble Modelo62 and Stichting Creëren explores the role of the senses in the perception of reality and its relation with the use of technology, enhanced by the pandemic and the consequent social distance. The piece -conceived to happen in two physical spaces and online streaming- involves multi sensorial perception, mainly working with sight, hearing, smell and technology.
TDFR is inspired by the philosophical ideas of Plato which suggests that art separates us from reality in three degrees, since art is the imperfect copy of the sensorial world (the world we can perceive with our senses) and this world is, in turn, an imperfect copy of the world of ideas (which is perceived only with intelligence). TDFR proposes to resignify these concepts, thinking about different degrees of perception from the current perspective of the social distance applied since the spreading of the Covid-19. We are going to create three different spaces, one for each “degree of reality”: (1) the reality people can perceive with their senses, (2) the reality that can be experienced both directly and through technology, and (3) the reality that can only be accessible virtually. The main questions that lead our creation are: what is reality now? Specifically, in which way reality has changed after Covid-19? For how long the “new normal” will be our new reality? How technology has changed the way we connect with others? What is the difference between experiencing reality with our senses or behind a screen? Finally, is reality something that comes from outside, that is given or can we modify it, shape it, create it in connection with other subjectivities, putting together different points of view, collectively? TDFR is not an attempt to answer these questions but an invitation for the audience to reflect about these topics.
We aim to create a piece that works with all the questions above mentioned in a metaphorical way. Far from being literal, our goal is to build a system open and flexible enough in which performers and audience can collectively experience different approaches to the main topic. To achieve that, the piece will take place both in two physical locations and online (streaming and/or recorded version uploaded for the web).
[ Credits ] Concept and Composition: Ezequiel Menalled – Concept, Dramaturgy and staging: Luz Lassizuk – Scent installation: Yolanda Uriz Elizalde (member of iii collective) – Musicians of Ensemble Modelo62: Vasilis Stefanopoulos (double bass), Jan Willem Troost (cello) and Santiago Lascurain (guitar) – Technical realisation: Dario Giustarini.