The project is inspired by Georg Tabori’s 2001 play Premature Departure. Its first public reading in Poland took place on 7 December 2015 at STUDIO Theatre in Warsaw. Written as a narrative featuring 18 characters, the text was performed—at the author’s suggestion—by only two actors: Agnieszka Roszkowska and Krzysztof Ogłoza, under the direction of Emilia Sadowska.

The work has never been staged in Poland and has been produced only once in Germany: at the Berliner Ensemble in 2001, in a production directed by the author himself. The process of preparing the Warsaw reading inspired the artists to continue their exploration of Tabori’s text, this time outside a conventional theatre setting. Premature Departure is Tabori’s penultimate theatrical experiment. The text takes the form of a science-fiction film narrative set in 2066, at a time when people over the age of fifty are being exterminated on Earth. These rejected citizens are forced to report once a month to a commission of the Political Police, known as Pol-Pol, before being taken away in a Black Bus to an unknown destination. The central storyline follows Karl and Santora, who meet and attempt to escape their fate. Our aim is to create a project without a single dominant point of view, such as that of a director. This approach involves the creation of an open work which, at every stage of its development, allows all possible external factors to become sources of inspiration.

The idea of bringing theatre into dialogue with an exhibition inspired by the same text is intended as a continuation of Tabori’s artistic thinking and experimentation. Zbigniew Libera was invited to create the works forming the exhibition. He is the creator of the renowned work LEGO. Concentration Camp (1996) and one of the leading representatives of so-called critical art. His other works include Intimate Rites (1984), Corrective Devices (1994–1997), and Positives (2002–2003). His work is represented in some of the world’s most important art collections.

Since 2015, at various intervals, we have been working with Zbigniew Libera within a space of artistic experimentation. We have been searching for unconventional approaches, stage solutions, diverse forms of expression, conventions, humour and grotesque, all developed in dialogue with Tabori’s narrative. Through our experiments, we seek to explore the boundaries between theatre and visual art and to release creative potential. We believe that bringing these two disciplines together offers a compelling way of bringing Tabori’s disturbing vision to life and provides an appropriate tool for interpreting its themes, situations, circumstances, content and characters. The exhibition is based on the presentation of works created over many years of artistic exploration. The project will include, among other elements, an installation by Zbigniew Libera and recordings of various acting-based activities, including improvisations, happenings, performances, film and video art. Each recording is an autonomous work created in accordance with Georg Tabori’s principle: “What matters is not ‘what’, but ‘how’.”

The exhibition will also include:

1. A film in the style of film noir

Created in the film noir tradition, the film will be one of the exhibition’s central works, introducing audiences to the atmosphere of Georg Tabori’s drama. Elements characteristic of the genre—including black-and-white cinematography, expressionist points of view, strongly contrasting lighting, dramatic interplay between light and shadow, and a narrative filled with intrigue—will be used to visualise the first chapter of Tabori’s work.

2. Photographs by Zbigniew Libera

Zbigniew Libera created 18 portraits of the two actors. These photographs not only represent the 18 characters in Tabori’s work, but, above all, address the inevitability of the passage of time.

3. The “Igloo” object

An unusual structure entitled Igloo was created as part of the actors’ improvisations. It is intended to function as a separate focal point within the exhibition space, inviting visitors to reflect on the themes of Tabori’s narrative and adding another dimension to the exhibition’s interpretation.

4. Sound

The soundscape will include recordings of the actors asking the oppressive questions “How old are you?” and “Age?”, as well as a recording of the second chapter of Tabori’s narrative. The atmosphere will also be enriched by the jazz standard Sometimes I Am Happy, which appears in the text and will be arranged in a variety of musical styles.

5. The actors

During the day, visitors will be able to experience the exhibition without the actors. In the evening, however, it will take on a completely different form, as Agnieszka Roszkowska and Krzysztof Ogłoza become living parts of the exhibition. Their presence will introduce a dynamic element, allowing audiences to participate actively in the installation. This gesture also reflects the actors’ commitment to creating an inspiring and interactive exhibition space.

We are currently searching for a suitable venue in which to present the works we have created, none of which have previously been shown to the public. To realise the project, we require organisational support, a curator, and sufficient time to complete the technical development of all the planned elements of the exhibition. The project’s partners and patrons to date have included the Austrian Cultural Forum and the ADiT Drama Agency, which produced our performative reading, as well as the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland and the Silesian Museum in Katowice.

Project creators

Concept: Agnieszka Roszkowska, Emilia Sadowska, Krzysztof Ogłoza, Zbigniew Libera

Installation, exhibition and photography: Zbigniew Libera

Cast:

Karl — Krzysztof Ogłoza
Santora — Agnieszka Roszkowska

The other 16 characters — Krzysztof Ogłoza and Agnieszka Roszkowska

How old are you?

Contacts

Krzysztof Ogłoza

phone; +48 608519443

e-mail: krzysztof.ogloza@gmail.com