Idiota

Pandora’s myth probably first surfaced to help us answer age-old questions. Why do people get sick and die? Why do bad things happen? And while Pandora is often cast as the reviled bringer of evil, she also brought fertility, since birth and death did not exist before she released them.

In this performance, the title character sneaks into Pandora’s box to spy on Hope who is still locked up there. But after reaching the box’s core, Idiota’s senses and self-orientation will be fully assaulted, turning windows into mirrors, the door into a self-portrait. To escape Pandora’s box, Idiota must tackle these challenges.

This new creation – commissioned by CNAD in Mindelo, Cape Verde – is rooted in a dialogue between the choreography of Marlene Monteiro Freitas and the work of painter Alex Silva (1974 – 2019). She unfolds this intimate conversation, presenting a solo at the festival for the first time. The choreography showcases Freitas’ command and versatility, in a performance that stays with us long after it is over.

Credits:

Presentation: Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Choreography and performance: Marlene Monteiro Freitas

Choreographic assistance: Hsin-Yi Hsiang

Space: Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Miguel Figueira, Yannick Fouassier

Light: Yannick Fouassier | Sound: Rui Antunes | Costumes: Marlene Monteiro Freitas
Production: P.O.R.K

Diffusion: Key Performance

Coproduction: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, CNAD – Centro Nacional de Arte, Artesanato e Design, Festival d’Automne in Paris, Grec Festival de Barcelona, Wiener Festwochen

Supported by: Theater Freiburg, Mattatoio – Azienda Speciale Palaexpo

P.OR.K Associação Cultural is funded by Governo de Portugal – Ministério da Cultura / Direção-Geral das Artes

Marlene Monteiro Freitas is the recipient of the Evens Arts Prize 2021, a biennial award honouring artists who engage with contemporary challenges in Europe.