What do we want from the stars?
Coinciding with the International Year of Astronomy 2009, which marks 400 years since Galileo first pointed a telescope to the sky, we felt motivated to create an artistic object that, based on that scientific subject, reflected on the knowledge we have of the world and of ourselves.
Starting from the relationship of distance between observer and observed that exists in astronomy, we tried to reproduce that relationship “at a distance” between us and the universe in a show. This is how the show “Look at the Distant. Look at Before.” (LATDLAB) came about in 2008, taking place simultaneously in two distant places, the roof of the General Library of the University of Coimbra and the pedestrian bridge over the Mondego River. The audience watched the show on the bridge and the action taking place on the library’s terrace was made possible by several telescopes pointed at that location.
“[ZOOM]” is an enlargement of “Look at the Distant. Look at Before.“. As a consequence of the artistic work developed in that project we intend to bring people closer to the action that was taking place at a distance. If we keep in mind the considerations outlined above about going back in time through the astronomical observation of bodies at very great distances, [zoom] is also a trip back in time. If in “Look at the Distant. Look at Before.” we looked at Astronomy and raised the question of the time lag caused by the distance and space, in “[ZOOM]” we go further and beyond that space, we go back in time – like in a “wormhole”.
The theme of “[ZOOM]” returns and develops the conceptual and narrative unfolding explored in the “Look at the Distant. Look at Before.” construction process, focusing on the improvisation of the Perseus myth in one of the variants that came to us from Greek Antiquity, on the constellations associated to the myth, and on some fundamental concepts of the universe, such as time, light, and infinity. In that other work we created an artistic constellation that was presented for a month in a place inaccessible to the audience, as if it were a constellation thousands of millions of light years away. Now we “[ZOOM]” in on that constellation and we go back in time by bringing it into the present.
Playwright and Direction Mário Montenegro
Discussion and Ideas Alexandre Lemos, Anabela Fernandes, Mário Montenegro, Pedro Andrade, Rui Capitão, Rui Simão
Cast Alexandre Lemos, Anabela Fernandes, Mário Montenegro
Set Design, Wardrobe and Image Pedro Andrade
Sound Design Rui Capitão
Lighting Design Rui Simão
Video Francisco Queimadela, Mariana Caló, Alexandre Lemos
Video Edition António Gonçalves
Video Operation Laetitia Morais
Stage Photography Francisca Moreira
Executive Production Alexandre Lemos, Marta Furtado
With the support of
A Escola da Noite
Teatro da Cerca de S. Bernardo
Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente
Mafia – Federação Cultural de Coimbra
Ilídio Design Cabeleireiros
O Teatrão
UZI Filmes
Livraria XM
Rádio Universidade de Coimbra
TEUC
AIA2009
- Productions
- [ZOOM]
- Look At The Distant. Look At Before.
- Clipping
- Zoom no TAGV [P2]
- A Escola da Noite recebe Marionet com "zoom" [Pravda]
- Marionet apresenta "Zoom" no TCSB dias 14 a 17 de Outubro [Diário Digital]
- Marionet põe 'Zoom' em cena no TCSB [Jornal de Notícias]
- "zoom" o que queremos nós das estrelas [O Portal das Artes]
- "Zoom" regressa amanhã aos palcos [Diário As Beiras]
- "Zoom" regressa amanhã aos palcos [Diário de Coimbra]