Letters to the unknown
Theater Kikker, Utrecht 24.11. – 26.11.2014
Created and performed by Tijmen Legemaate and Susanne Irene Fjørtoft. Funded by Gemeente Utrecht / Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Utrecht / Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with a special thanks to Het Huis Utrecht for our residency.
What is Unknown to us? Would we like to know the Unknown, or would we rather linger in the safe haven of what we already know? Is tracking down the Unknown possible at all? Can the unknown be poetic and beautiful, grim and fearsome, all at the same time?
Guided by such questions, Livestock would like to investigate what the concept of the unknown evokes in us and what kinds of expressions we can give it. Ultimately, we are curious to find out what happens when we confront the audience with our guest of honour: the Unknown. We will at least do our best to welcome the Unknown on stage and if it wants, take control of the events! And, if the Unknown elegantly fails to expose itself, we have to deal with it.
Confrontations with the unknown happen every day, when we meet a stranger or open our mailbox. It also hit us in the face sometimes, making us realize that our knowledge is limited. The unknown can trigger a whole range of reactions in us, such as fear and curiosity; responses that lie at the very foundation of human nature. While fear might lead us to avoid the unknown or become aggressive towards it, curiosity teases us to seek and explore. In the end, it is a great experiment, perhaps even an illusion, to think that we can act outside the borders of what we already know. But given the choice of staying put with our prejudices, or taking a blunt leap into unknown waters, we are willing to dive in!
Created and performed by Tijmen Legemaate and Susanne Irene Fjørtoft. Funded by Gemeente Utrecht / Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Utrecht / Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with a special thanks to Het Huis Utrecht for our residency.
What is Unknown to us? Would we like to know the Unknown, or would we rather linger in the safe haven of what we already know? Is tracking down the Unknown possible at all? Can the unknown be poetic and beautiful, grim and fearsome, all at the same time?
Guided by such questions, Livestock would like to investigate what the concept of the unknown evokes in us and what kinds of expressions we can give it. Ultimately, we are curious to find out what happens when we confront the audience with our guest of honour: the Unknown. We will at least do our best to welcome the Unknown on stage and if it wants, take control of the events! And, if the Unknown elegantly fails to expose itself, we have to deal with it.
Confrontations with the unknown happen every day, when we meet a stranger or open our mailbox. It also hit us in the face sometimes, making us realize that our knowledge is limited. The unknown can trigger a whole range of reactions in us, such as fear and curiosity; responses that lie at the very foundation of human nature. While fear might lead us to avoid the unknown or become aggressive towards it, curiosity teases us to seek and explore. In the end, it is a great experiment, perhaps even an illusion, to think that we can act outside the borders of what we already know. But given the choice of staying put with our prejudices, or taking a blunt leap into unknown waters, we are willing to dive in!