(photo credit:Raymond Mallentjer)

Second Life (2008)



Premiering in Kaaitheater Studio’s, Brussels in 2008, Second Life presents the idea/l of a utopic community in two parts. The first, the virtual world of online communities such as Second Life, and the second a kind of futuristic retirement community, populated by elderly amateur performers 70 years and older.

The performance takes off from the consideration that the real world utopias (cruise ships, artificial private islands, gated communities) and those of the virtual worlds, exist on two sides of an ever-disappearing interface- where the real becomes more virtual, and the virtual more and more real. Whereas the first is primarily directed towards the elderly, the latter owes its existence to young gamers.

The question becomes what kind of utopia society is ultimately in the process of creating- do we hope for an extension or an alienation from embodiment, do we hope to imagine a whole new body or just to escape the realities of the one we have?

concept: Andros Zins-Browne - in collaboration with: Agnieszka Dmochowska, Béatrice Balcou and Jaime Llopis - performed by: Andros Zins-Browne, Agnieszka Dmochowska, Béatrice Balcou, Jaime Llopis, Magda Vandecaveye, Henk Slijp, Julia Goffen, Jeanne Van Peperstraete, Ilse Verbert - extras: Jacqueline Soetewey, Maurice De Keyzer, Hugo Recko sound: Peter Lenaerts - costume assistence: Ada Rajszys - light and technique: Luc Schaltin - set elements: Rommelo Yu - production: wpZimmer for Filter vzw - co-production: BUDA kunstencentrum (Kortrijk), PACT/Zollverein (Essen), artcentre Vooruit (Ghent), Kaaitheater (Brussels) - with support of: Flemish Government, Stad Antwerpen, Dans in Limburg and wpZimmer - in collaboration with: STUK kunstencentrum (Leuven), ccBe (Antwerpen) - thanks to: Beursschouwburg, Brussel , Seniorencentrum Brussel

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