Montazstroj
Encyclopedia
Montažstroj was founded in 1989 in Zagreb
, Croatia
under artistic direction of
Borut Šeparović, as an independent performance
group with the idea that the complete artwork is realized not only in theater, but also in all art media and their mutual correlation.
The word "montažstroj" is a lexical creation, a Croatian compound made up of the words "montaža" meaning assembly or film editing, as well as work executed on a conveyor belt and "stroj" denoting both the machine as a futuristic ideal and a line-up of soldiers.
During the 1990s Montažstroj received international recognition, high critical acclaims and numerous awards as the most successful Croatian Company of dance and physical theater. Subsequently, the Company performed at a number of international festivals and venues in more than 20 European countries and the USA
.
Widely differing in their contents and style and format, Montažstroj art pieces were usually described as political and engaged, commonly exploring uncharted artistic and often interdisciplinary areas.
The initial 7 years were dedicated to the 'Theatrical representation of the football and pop culture'. The aim was to explore mental and physical limits of the performers, as well as the total artwork including all domains of contemporary art
.
In addition, the Company has realized several performances, installations, and award winning video clips and choreographic works. The experience of real socialism
, the historical changes occurring in post-communism
and the war in former Yugoslavia
, deeply influenced, and thus defined the Company's artistic credo.
The material for performance was found in everyday events and often led to the radical stage reality (that can be described the best by the terms and slogans presented in Montažstroj's productions: 'risk', 'athletes of the heart', 'fighting and sport spirit', 'art without God', 'no distance', etc.)
After the successful introduction with the plays VATROTEHNA, and RAP OPERA 101 (adaptations of antic myths in the context of global satellite programs and local war surrounding), Montažstroj first came into worldview in 1991, with the success of their music video clip "Croatia In Flame". The artistic research was continued with an actualization of post‐communist transitional myths (the triviality of late‐capitalist mythologies in EVERYBODY GOES 2 DISCO FROM MOSCOW TO SAN FRANCISCO and the biblical conversion in FRAGILE ),
when Montažstroj was even labeled as the theater of transition.
In 1997, Montažstroj relocated its activity and initiated its artistic plan entitled Performing
mission, with a long‐term objective of building an international company with a strong artistic
identity, unbound by a particular culture. Operating in a nomad manner, but predominantly in
the Netherlands (under the name Performingunit), the group focuses on the human state, that
is, the position of the individual, and identity problems, attempting to avoid spectacular
theatrical elements and highlighting the very presence of performers as the main ingredient of
the production. In this period more intimate performances, such as TERRIBLE FISH (emerging
from Sylvia Plath
’s poetry), WHO IS WOYZECK? (based on Büchner's canonic text Western
Theater) and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD (after the equally entitled story by Danilo
Kiš) were realized.
Montažstroj's last projects T‐FORMANCE, T‐FAKTOR and THIS IS THE THEATER YOU
DESERVE belong to a series of innovative interdisciplinary projects. These are multimedia
interactive games/events, which explore the phenomenon of terrorism
and its cultural
performability, that is, contemporaneity in relation to the “3T” – terror, TV and theater. By
amalgamating the traditions of theatrical performance and contemporary interactive trends, the
audience is in a position to determine the final form and content of the performance
, by a
number of decisions it is faced with making. Special emphasis is put on the use of new media
(the internet
and mobile phones), which is why such projects step out of the theater into the sphere of digital art
.
(text ‘Prometheus Bound’ by Aeschylus), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1991. RAP OPERA 101
(text ‘Philoktetes’ by Sophocles & H. Mueller),
Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: festival Eurokaz, Zagreb
1993. ENJOY MONTAZSTROJ!
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1994. EVERYBODY GOES 2 DISCO FROM MOSCOW 2 SAN FRANCISCO
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1995. DISCO RE-MIX
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1996. EURO-BODY
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1997. EXERCISES MOBILE sections + CONVERTIBLE sections
(work-in-progress), Montazstroj, Zagreb with different partners
1999. FRAGILE
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb & Performingunit, Breda;
co-production: Intercult, B.I.T., Frascati
2000. DUET
(dance performance), Performingunit, Breda
2001. TRUTH OR DARE?
(performance), Performingunit, Breda;
co-production: Chasse Theater Breda, Frascati Amsterdam
2001. TERRIBLE FISH
(performance based on poem “Three Women” by Sylvia Plath), Performingunit, Breda
2002. WHO IS? WOYZECK
(based on “Woyzeck” by Georg Buchner), Performingunit, Breda
2004. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD | ENCIKLOPEDIJA MRTVIH
(based on story “Encyclopedia of the dead” by Danilo Kiš), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2007. T-FORMANCE
(interactive performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
2007. THE THEATER YOU DESERVE | KAZALISTE VASE I NASE MLADOSTI
(interactive event), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
1990. ACHTUNG ALARM (action / performance)
1991. CROATIA IN FLAME (video clip)
1991. HOP & RAS, DVA (installation / performance)
1991. ATLETA SRCA vs. BARBAROGENIJE (action)
1992. MONTAZSTROJ LIVE! (music performance / concert)
1995. NO DISTANCE (action / street performance)
1994. Special Mention of the Jury for the choreography ‘Everybody Goes 2 Disco from Moscow 2 San Francisco’ at International choreographers competition ‘4th Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de SeineSaintDenis' in Paris (France)
1999. Award of the Audience for the performance ‘Fragile’ at 33rd BITEF festival in Belgrade (Serbia)
2001. Award of the Jury for the performance ‘Terrible fish’ at 3rd Golden Lion festival in Umag (Croatia)
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
under artistic direction of
Borut Šeparović, as an independent performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
group with the idea that the complete artwork is realized not only in theater, but also in all art media and their mutual correlation.
The word "montažstroj" is a lexical creation, a Croatian compound made up of the words "montaža" meaning assembly or film editing, as well as work executed on a conveyor belt and "stroj" denoting both the machine as a futuristic ideal and a line-up of soldiers.
During the 1990s Montažstroj received international recognition, high critical acclaims and numerous awards as the most successful Croatian Company of dance and physical theater. Subsequently, the Company performed at a number of international festivals and venues in more than 20 European countries and the USA
.
Widely differing in their contents and style and format, Montažstroj art pieces were usually described as political and engaged, commonly exploring uncharted artistic and often interdisciplinary areas.
The initial 7 years were dedicated to the 'Theatrical representation of the football and pop culture'. The aim was to explore mental and physical limits of the performers, as well as the total artwork including all domains of contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
.
In addition, the Company has realized several performances, installations, and award winning video clips and choreographic works. The experience of real socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, the historical changes occurring in post-communism
Post-Communism
Post-communism is a name sometimes given to the period of political and economic transformation or "transition" in former Communist states located in parts of Europe and Asia, in which new governments aimed to create free market-oriented capitalist economies with some form of parliamentary...
and the war in former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, deeply influenced, and thus defined the Company's artistic credo.
The material for performance was found in everyday events and often led to the radical stage reality (that can be described the best by the terms and slogans presented in Montažstroj's productions: 'risk', 'athletes of the heart', 'fighting and sport spirit', 'art without God', 'no distance', etc.)
After the successful introduction with the plays VATROTEHNA, and RAP OPERA 101 (adaptations of antic myths in the context of global satellite programs and local war surrounding), Montažstroj first came into worldview in 1991, with the success of their music video clip "Croatia In Flame". The artistic research was continued with an actualization of post‐communist transitional myths (the triviality of late‐capitalist mythologies in EVERYBODY GOES 2 DISCO FROM MOSCOW TO SAN FRANCISCO and the biblical conversion in FRAGILE ),
when Montažstroj was even labeled as the theater of transition.
In 1997, Montažstroj relocated its activity and initiated its artistic plan entitled Performing
mission, with a long‐term objective of building an international company with a strong artistic
identity, unbound by a particular culture. Operating in a nomad manner, but predominantly in
the Netherlands (under the name Performingunit), the group focuses on the human state, that
is, the position of the individual, and identity problems, attempting to avoid spectacular
theatrical elements and highlighting the very presence of performers as the main ingredient of
the production. In this period more intimate performances, such as TERRIBLE FISH (emerging
from Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
’s poetry), WHO IS WOYZECK? (based on Büchner's canonic text Western
Theater) and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD (after the equally entitled story by Danilo
Kiš) were realized.
Montažstroj's last projects T‐FORMANCE, T‐FAKTOR and THIS IS THE THEATER YOU
DESERVE belong to a series of innovative interdisciplinary projects. These are multimedia
interactive games/events, which explore the phenomenon of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and its cultural
performability, that is, contemporaneity in relation to the “3T” – terror, TV and theater. By
amalgamating the traditions of theatrical performance and contemporary interactive trends, the
audience is in a position to determine the final form and content of the performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, by a
number of decisions it is faced with making. Special emphasis is put on the use of new media
(the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and mobile phones), which is why such projects step out of the theater into the sphere of digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
.
Performances
1990. FIRE-TECHNICS | VATROTEHNA(text ‘Prometheus Bound’ by Aeschylus), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1991. RAP OPERA 101
(text ‘Philoktetes’ by Sophocles & H. Mueller),
Montazstroj, Zagreb; co-production: festival Eurokaz, Zagreb
1993. ENJOY MONTAZSTROJ!
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1994. EVERYBODY GOES 2 DISCO FROM MOSCOW 2 SAN FRANCISCO
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1995. DISCO RE-MIX
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1996. EURO-BODY
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb
1997. EXERCISES MOBILE sections + CONVERTIBLE sections
(work-in-progress), Montazstroj, Zagreb with different partners
1999. FRAGILE
(dance performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb & Performingunit, Breda;
co-production: Intercult, B.I.T., Frascati
2000. DUET
(dance performance), Performingunit, Breda
2001. TRUTH OR DARE?
(performance), Performingunit, Breda;
co-production: Chasse Theater Breda, Frascati Amsterdam
2001. TERRIBLE FISH
(performance based on poem “Three Women” by Sylvia Plath), Performingunit, Breda
2002. WHO IS? WOYZECK
(based on “Woyzeck” by Georg Buchner), Performingunit, Breda
2004. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE DEAD | ENCIKLOPEDIJA MRTVIH
(based on story “Encyclopedia of the dead” by Danilo Kiš), Montazstroj, Zagreb
2007. T-FORMANCE
(interactive performance), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
2007. THE THEATER YOU DESERVE | KAZALISTE VASE I NASE MLADOSTI
(interactive event), Montazstroj, Zagreb, co-production: Teatar &TD, Zagreb
Crossover
1989. KOPACKA U GALERIJI (action / performance)1990. ACHTUNG ALARM (action / performance)
1991. CROATIA IN FLAME (video clip)
1991. HOP & RAS, DVA (installation / performance)
1991. ATLETA SRCA vs. BARBAROGENIJE (action)
1992. MONTAZSTROJ LIVE! (music performance / concert)
1995. NO DISTANCE (action / street performance)
Awards
1991. Award for the choreography of ‘Vatrotehna’ at the '6th Festival of Yugoslav Alternative Theatre' in Podgorica, (Montenegro)1994. Special Mention of the Jury for the choreography ‘Everybody Goes 2 Disco from Moscow 2 San Francisco’ at International choreographers competition ‘4th Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de SeineSaintDenis' in Paris (France)
1999. Award of the Audience for the performance ‘Fragile’ at 33rd BITEF festival in Belgrade (Serbia)
2001. Award of the Jury for the performance ‘Terrible fish’ at 3rd Golden Lion festival in Umag (Croatia)