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2018
Lviv Quadriennale of Scenography: Preview
The first Quadriennale in Ukraine was founded by the Scenography Gallery in 2018. The project was supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Lviv City Council and friends of the Scenography Gallery.
More than 20 authors, 4 theatre groups, and 18 events at 7 locations in Lviv. The 2018 Quadrennial brought together set and costume designers from Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and Germany.
The focal theme of the Quadriennale is “Identity”: exhibitions of Ukrainian, Hungarian and German set designers and artists of theatre and film, alternative screenings of designers and artists of theatrical costumes, and a TEDx conference. Ukrainian, Polish and Austrian theatres have prepared several evening performances for you in a cozy chamber atmosphere. All festival participants are nominees and winners of Ukrainian and international theatre competitions. The special guest is a stage designer from Germany, Petra-Maria Wiers.
Сatalogue
MAIN EVENTS
Concert by German musician Tilo Wachter (Müllheim, Germany)
LOCATION: Lviv coffee mine
The Quadriennale began with a pre-event. On October 4, there was a concert of the German musician Thilo Wachter (Müllheim, Germany), a virtuoso of the youngest percussion instrument, the gang. On four gangs, Tilo intertwines polyphonic melodies with powerful archaic singing, creating a unique style.
“I believe that music, like medicine, can heal,” says Tilo. ”When people gather for a performance or a concert, sit in a dark room, they slow down, in a good sense of the word. And it may sound a little pompous, but I want to give them something healing, to share the feeling of how wonderful it is to be in the moment, here and now, to breathe together.”
Abstract dresses by Polina Weller (Kyiv, Ukraine)
Polina Weller - is a designer of the Polina Veller brand, which breaks stereotypes in the materials used: models wear mesh, vinyl, plastic, and even advertising banners. Creates costumes for the Dakh Daughters band. Collaborates with directors, theatres and musicians, curates Art-Fashion programmes, creates joint collections with artists.
EXHIBITIONS OF SET DESIGNERS
LOCATION: FestRepublic, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St., entrance from Korduba St.
TIME: October 5, 18:00
Mirror installation by Volodymyr Stetskovych (Lviv, Ukraine)
Volodymyr Stetskovych is a production designer at the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre . He works in the field of contemporary art. He is a director and cinematographer of his own films. As a production designer, he is best known for his performances: “12th Night” (2014), ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ by T. Williams (2016), ‘Knives in Chickens’ by D. Harrower (2016) at the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre. Also, London by the First Stage of Contemporary Drama Drama.ua (2015), R+J by S. Brama (2015), and Glory to the Heroes by P. Arie (2016) at the Golden Gate Theatre.
The Quadriennale was officially opened with exhibitions of set designers and a performance by the Austrian theatre Lalish.
In these scenographic spaces, specially designed for the Quadriennale and located in the adjacent premises of the factory, the organizers proposed to introduce ready-made performances by several theatre groups, which had to look for new ways of interaction and existence in the already existing scenography. In this way, the set designers transformed existing productions, demonstrating how form and meaning in theatre art depend on the space in which they exist.
Modern concrete mixers
Oleksiy Khoroshko (Lviv, Ukraine)
Oleksiy Khoroshko is the chief artist of the Lesya Ukrainka Lviv Academic Theatre. He works in the fields of video art, installation, environments, photography and scenography. - He teaches at the Lviv National Academy of Arts. Performances for which he created scenography: “Nameless Star” (directed by Bohdan Revkevych, 2007), ‘Formulas of Ecstasy’ (directed by Volodymyr Kuchynskyi, 2009), ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ (directed by Volodymyr Kuchynskyi, 2012), ‘SON’ (directed by Oleksiy Kravchuk, 2014), ‘Baba’ (directed by Oleksiy Kravchuk, 2014), ‘Caligula’ (directed by Oleksiy Kravchuk, 2017).
An eco-installation with dozens of Christmas trees by
by Volodymyr Karashevskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine)
Volodymyr Karashevskyi is the chief artist of the Kyiv Academic Young Theatre. He is a student of D. Lider. Volodymyr Karashevsky's performances have been presented at international festivals in Ukraine, Austria, Great Britain, Armenia, Germany, Holland, Greece, Georgia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Colombia, Poland, Russia, Russia, the United States, Hungary, France, and the Second Theatre Olympics in Japan.
Puppet costumes by Oleh Tatarуnov (Kyiv, Ukraine)
Oleh Tatarynov is a set designer and costume designer at the Kyiv Academic Theatre for Young Audiences on Lypky. He has designed 38 performances, and his most famous works include: “J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye (directed by M. Mykhailichenko, 2013), W. Hube's Eight on the Ark (directed by O. Senchuk, 2014), and G. Donizetti's opera Love Drink (directed by J. Chepela, 2017).
Exhibitions of a more traditional format were held at three other locations, so each day of the Quadriennale began with the opening of a new exposition.
Miracle Puppets by Petra-Maria Wiers (Cologne, Germany)
Petra-Maria Wiers - worked as a costume designer and set designer with such directors as K. Friedrich, B. Kosminski, A. Fricke, K. Rech in municipal German theatres: Schauspiel Bonn, Staatstheatre Hannover, Volksbühne Berlin, Theatre Dortmund, Staatstheatre Mainz.
She has been nominated twice for Best Young Artist in Set and Costume Design by the leading German theatre newspaper Theatre heute. She collaborates with Futur 3, an independent theatre group based in Cologne. The most famous works with the group: “Ortschaft.abgeschaltet” (2012), ‘Zum goldenen Leben’ (2014), ‘Stadt der Schildkröten’ (2015) and ‘Nichts’ (2016). He works and teaches set design as part of the BA Cinematography program at the International Film School Cologne.
Personal exhibition of stage designer Oleksandr Bilozub
LOCATION: Scenography Gallery
TIME: October 6, 12:00
Oleksandr Bilozub is a Ukrainian scenic designer, artist, actor and director of theatre and film, Honored Artist of Ukraine.
He has worked as a production designer at the Lviv Academic Theatre “Voskresenie”, Sumy Theatre of Drama and Musical Comedy named after M. Shchepkin, Mykolaiv Drama Theatre named after V. Chkalov, the Arabesque Theatre, where he created the stage design for the theatre. Chkalov, the Arabesque Theatre, where he carried out joint projects with the rock band Mertvy Piven, the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre, and collaborated with director Andriy Zholdak in many theatres in Ukraine, Russia, and Europe.
Since 2016, he has been working as a production designer at the Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theatre.
Since 2002, he has been working as a supply artist with director Attila Vidniansky in theatres in Hungary, with whom he created most of the scenic works.
The exhibition lasted until October 21.
Exhibition of sketches by Yevhen Lysyk
LOCATION: Church of St. John the Baptist - 1 Staryi Rynok Square
TIME: October 7, 11:00 a.m.
An exhibition of works by Yevhen Lysyk (1930-1991), a world-famous theatre artist, Shevchenko laureate, People's Artist of Ukraine, and for many years chief artist of the Lviv National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M. Krushelnytska, was exhibited in the Church of St. John the Baptist. The artist's wife and daughter, Oksana Zinchenko and Anna Lysyk, who attended the opening, say they tried to select for the exhibition exactly those paintings and sketches that would complement the atmosphere of the church. And they succeeded. The final touch of the opening was the chants performed by the actors of the Les Kurbas Theatre.
He created scenographies for 76 performances, the most famous of which are: “Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by S. Prokofiev, ‘Esmeralda’ by C. Pouni, ‘The Nutcracker’ by P. Tchaikovsky, ”The Creation of the World” by A. Petrov, Medea by R. Gabichvadze, The Golden Hoop by B. Lyatoshinsky, Tannhäuser by Wagner, Don Giovanni by Mozart, The Winged Man by Gubarenko, Othello by by G. Verdi and others. The productions have been staged in theatres in Lviv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Odesa, Minsk (Belarus), Moscow, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk (Russia), Warsaw (Poland), Skopje (Macedonia), and Ankara (Turkey).
Installation by brothers Tadei and Mykhailo Ryndzak
LOCATION: Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv
TIME: October 7, 12:30 pm
The Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum showcased the work of the Lviv Opera's set designers, brothers Tadei and Mykhailo Ryndzak. The artists created an installation of elements from the set design of W. A. Mozart's opera Don Giovanni directed by Vasyl Vovkun.
Tadei Ryndzak is the chief artist of the Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre. He is a Ukrainian theater artist, People's Artist of Ukraine, winner of the Shekera Prize in the field of choreographic art. A student of Yevhen Lysyk. He created scenography for the operas Carmen, The Bells of Cornwall, Prince Igor, Iolanta, Rigoletto, Taras Bulba, Stolen Happiness, ballets Coppélia, False Precaution, Per Gynt, and Swan Lake.
Mykhailo Ryndzak is an artist of the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. Krushelnytska. He is a Ukrainian theatre artist, People's Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the A.F. Shekera Prize in the field of choreographic art. A student of Yevhen Lysyk. He created scenography for the operas: “Il Trovatore” and ‘Nabucco’ by D. Verdi, ‘La bohème’ by D. Puccini, ‘The Cossack Beyond the Danube’ by S. Hulak-Artemovsky, ‘Natalka Poltavka’ by M. Lysenko, ‘Moses’ by M. Skoryk, ‘The Masquerade Ball’ by D. Verdi. Verdi, Mozart and Salieri by Rimsky-Korsakov, ballets Bayaderká by Minkus, Lileia by Dankevych, Forest Song by Skorulsky, operettas Die Fledermaus and The Gypsy Baron by Strauss, etc.
Exhibition of theatre posters
LOCATION: Rynok Square
Street exhibition of theatre posters near the Lviv City Hall by artists Volodymyr Stetskovych (Lviv, Ukraine), Maria Krutoholova (Kyiv, Ukraine), Bohdan Polishchuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Anna Bragina (Kharkiv, Ukraine).
LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS
Lecture-meeting ‘Stage design’
LOCATION: Lviv Scenography Gallery - 36 Horodotska St.
TIME: 6 October, 13:00-15:00
PARTICIPANTS: Serhiy Vasyliev, Anna Lypkivska, Iryna Nesmiyanova.
Moderator: Maya Garbuziuk.
The main stages of the development of Ukrainian and European scenography and the issue of active involvement of the latest digital technologies in contemporary theatres were discussed during the lecture-meeting on the topic of ‘Scenography’. Its participants were well-known theatre theorists Serhiy Vasiliev, Iryna Nesmiyanova, Anna Lypkivska, and the moderator was Maya Harbuziuk. The talk provoked an active discussion with the audience.
Discussion ‘Modern Medici. Why should businesses invest in culture?’
LOCATION: Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe - 6 Bohomoltsia Street.
TIME: 7 October, 13.00-16.00
PARTICIPANTS: Harald Binder, Maria Kravchenko, Volodymyr Vorobi, Yulia Khomchyn.
Finance, management, and business planning in the cultural sector were discussed during a discussion at the Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe. The discussion was attended by Harald Binder, historian, philanthropist, founder of the Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe and Jam Factory Art Centre; Maria Kravchenko, director of the Museum of the History of Electrification of Lviv Region; Volodymyr Vorobey, executive director of PPV Knowledge Networks; and Yulia Khomchyn, deputy of the Lviv City Council and head of the Institute for Cultural Strategy. The discussion was moderated by Volodymyr Beglov, Head of the Board of the Educational Centre for Human Rights. The participants discussed the benefits of cooperation between cultural managers and business entrepreneurs, their mutual expectations and responsibilities, and shared their experience of attracting patronage support for art projects.
Performative show of costumes by Bohdan Polishchuk
LOCATION: Lviv Organ Hall
TIME: 6 October, 16.00
The artist presented costumes from the performances of the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre: ‘Passion Caught’ by Halyna Lystvak and Olha Renn, The Grateful Erodii by Hryhorii Skovoroda, and The Forest Song by Lesia Ukrainka.
The screening featured excerpts from Hrytsko Chubai's poem ‘Finding the Accused’ and musical variations on the theme of the suite ‘Caught Passion’ by by Vsevolod Sirenko.
Show of theatre costumes by Daria Zavyalova and Olha Hnatiuk
(Lviv, Ukraine)
LOCATION: FestRepubliс, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St.
TIME: 7 October, 16.00
The next day, FestRepublic hosted a show of theatrical costumes by Daria Zavyalova (Lviv) and Olha Hnatiuk (Lviv) with a musical project prepared especially for the Quadriennale by Maria Kopytchak (Ukraine), Yuriy Yosyfovych (Ukraine) and Tilo Wachter (Germany).
Daria Zavyalova is the chief artist of the First Ukrainian Theatre for Children and Youth. She created works for the performances of Judas by S. Cherkasenko (directed by P. Lastivka), Mowgli and Thumbelina (directed by R. Valko), Romeo and Juliet and Chasing Two Hares by M. Staritsky (directed by V. Zhyla) at the First Academic Theatre, and Marie Tudor by W. Hugo (directed by P. Lastivka) at the Ternopil Drama Theatre. He is engaged in artistic textiles and painting, periodically demonstrating his works at group and personal exhibitions.
Olha Hnatiuk is a costume and accessories designer and stylist. Co-founder of KARP store&studio. She founded her own clothing brand OLYA HNATIUK. She presented costumes for the performances of A Christmas Story by Dickens (directed by O. Apchel, 2017) at the Lesya Ukrainka Lviv Academic Theatre and The Queen of Beauty by M. McDonagh (directed by I. Zadnipryanyi, 2018) at the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre. She has worked on stage images for ONUKA, BRUTTO, PANIVALKOVA, TROYE ZILLIA, Vivienne Mort, Gapochka, KURBASY, YAGODY and OY Sound System.
PERFORMANCES
‘The Garden of Dreams. A performance by the Lalish Theatre
(Vienna, Austria)
LOCATION: FestRepublic, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St.
TIME: 5 October, 18.00
At the opening of the Quadriennale, in the Oleksiy Khoroshko pavilion, actresses from the Vienna-based Lalisch Theatre performed a sensual and musical performance called The Garden of Dreams. In their ‘garden’, instead of flowers, they scattered nails and cutlery, spilled water and wine. This created a sound that harmoniously accompanied the singing in a language that does not exist, but, according to the actress, is familiar to everyone, because it is the ancestral language spoken by the first people and spoken by small children. It is the language of feelings that we hide.
‘We don't try to talk to the viewer's mind, we value a conversation with their heart. The best reaction to what we do is when a person says after the performance: ‘I had goosebumps, I felt joy or grief’. The main method of our work is a bodily reaction,’ N. Khasib.
Kurdish actresses Shamal Amin and Nihar Hassib founded the Lalish Theatre in Vienna, Austria, in 1985, after an experimental research project on the Cultural and Physical Concept in the Middle East and the Study of Performing Culture and Technology in Europe. With the research project ‘Without Shadows’ and the ongoing research ‘Song as a Source’, the Lalish Theatre Laboratory has dedicated itself to the archaeological search for the human voice, which is almost forgotten today.
The theatre has abandoned the notion of authorship, and has also replaced the ‘director’, ‘actor’, ‘show’ and ‘performance’ with ‘participant observer’, ‘guide’ and ‘gathering for action’. The theatre's research projects have been carried out in Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Greece, Ukraine, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Japan.
Performance by Petra-Maria Wiers
LOCATION: FestRepublic, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St.
TIME: 7 October, 18.00
After the completion of the Garden, a silent Petra-Maria Wirz appeared as if from nowhere, with a sign inviting the public to follow the artist in silence. In the centre of the space, there are two chairs opposite each other. The artist sat down on one, and with a wave of her hand invited people to join her. People came up to Petra one by one, and after a moment of silence, she held out her palms with mysterious inscriptions on them. The room was silent as everyone watched the wordless conversation the artist was having with everyone.
The palms read: ‘I apologise for my grandfather who fought in Kyiv in 1943’. In her performance, Petra tries to find her identity through her own experience and the experience of her ancestors. For her, the starting point is the past: a history that we must know and remember, but we must also understand that it will remain unchanged, and that the present and future are shaped by us and our attitude to the experience we have gained.
‘Marko the Cursed by the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre
LOCATION: FestRepublic, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St.
TIME: 6 October, 19.00
In the space of Volodymyr Stetskovych, the collective of the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre performed one of their poetry performances, Marko Proklyatyi, directed by Volodymyr Kuchynskyi.
It was during this performance that Volodymyr Stetskovych's mirror installation was fully revealed. As in a kaleidoscope, the elements of the performance were reflected and refracted at different angles, forming an independent and at the same time harmonious light show with the performance.
‘The Wedding’. Performance by the Slovo i Holos Theatre (Lviv, Ukraine)
LOCATION: FestRepublic, 10th building - 24-26 Staroznesenska St.
TIME: 7 October, 19.00
The Quadriennale was closed by the enchanting singing of the actresses of the Slovo i Holos theatre. For an hour, they performed old folk songs, telling the story of a Ukrainian woman from birth to old age.
‘I devoted myself to the voice because its mission is to connect a person with himself, with God, a person with another person. Communication is the road to yourself. Because you don't know who you are, and through singing you have the opportunity to manifest yourself to others, to discover yourself,’ N. Polovynka.
Feedback
Anna Lypkivska, PhD in Art History, Professor at the Kyiv Academy of Arts and Culture, about the Lviv Quadriennale of Scenography: Preview
The festival of scenography is one of the ‘gentleman's set’ of artistic events that every country that claims to be modern and cultural should obviously have. But there was no such festival in Ukraine during all the years of independence - until, as usual, a person/team (i.e. Oleh Oneshchak and his associates) appeared who for some reason felt it was absolutely necessary to create one - solely on their own initiative. Later, state institutions got involved in the process. For such a project, of course, it was necessary to first create a platform - also, in fact, on enthusiasm.Now it exists and is gaining momentum - a unique Lviv gallery of scenography, for which the ‘profile’ stated in the name is a programme (as opposed to many one-off sporadic exhibitions, which are numerous in Ukraine). It is important that the festival combined practice with theory - a lecture-meeting with art/theatre experts on the stages of development of national and European scenography, from Exeter and Petrytsky to the active use of the latest digital technologies at the present stage, which provokes a lot of thoughts and discussions. And to make it clear how to further develop theatre and who should pay for it, the organisers also organised a discussion within the festival: ‘Modern Medici. Why should business invest in culture?’.
But naturally, the main event of the festival was the artists. Yevhen Lysyk, Tadeusz and Mykhailo Ryndzak, Volodymyr Karashevskyi, Oleksandr Bilozub, Daria Zavyalova, Bohdan Polishchuk, Volodymyr Stetskovych, Oleh Tatarynov, Olha Hnatiuk, Oleksii Khoroshko - this set of names, from luminaries to young people, would be an honour for the organisers of any exhibition. And here, they appear not static, but in motion and in different spaces, often quite unusual and thus ‘theatricalised’: Lysyk in the interior of the Church of John the Baptist, Polischuk's costume parade in a church to the accompaniment of organ, flute, vocals and poetry by G. Chubai, the labyrinth of Bilozub's exhibition, where there is a surprise around every corner, Zavyalova and Hnatiuk's costumes, Word and Voice and Kurbasivka among the installations by Karashevsky and Co. in the former industrial hangars at FestRepubliс... All these are intersections and dialogues that generate other meanings, new sensations, and ultimately new contacts and perspectives. Theatre outside the theatre, historical and modern buildings and interiors that become not only locations for scenography, but also scenography itself, a connection between generations, a variety of styles, textures, ideas - this is what the Lviv Quadriennale of Scenography is all about: Preview. And there is only one question: if this is a ‘preview’, what will the festival itself be like?
Video
Media about the Quadriennale:
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tvoemisto.tv: the festival of scenography has started in Lviv. Photo.
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https://dyvys.info: Theatrical experiments and transformation of space: how the festival of scenography took place in Lviv (photo)
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https://dyvys.info: Theatre fashion show and performances at the factory. What the Festival of Scenography is preparing for Lviv residents (interview)
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https://opera.lviv.ua: Exhibition of Yevhen Lysyk's works as part of the Lviv Quadriennale of Scenography festival