METROPOLIS
– FESTIVAL FOR ART AND PERFORMANCE IN URBAN SPACE
1 - 31 August 2009 in Copenhagen
THE CITY AS STAGE: METROPOLIS FESTIVAL paves the way for unique metropolitan experiences in August 2009. This year, Copenhagen International Theatre will truly transform the city into a stage when artists from, for example, New York, Mexico City, Cape Town and Buenos Aires – in total, 15 different metropolitan cities from all over the world – present productions and city walks created specifically for Copenhagen.
Over 100 performances and installations will permeate the metropolis and give both locals and tourists the opportunity to feel the city’s impulses and experience our city in a completely new way. METROPOLIS will transform the public spaces into a full-scale playground and an oasis of reflection.
Public space productions don’t only create unique moments but also communicate our perception of the diversity and the contradictions of the metropolis. Many of the events are free of charge this year, due to the very fact that they take place in public spaces.
Artistic directors Trevor Davies and Katrien Verwilt say:
“METROPOLIS’ fundamental vision of making the city into an artistic axis and transforming ‘the city into a stage and the stage into the city’ has been realised this year. 21 very diverse Danish and international productions created especially for, with and in the city of Copenhagen.”
Created especially for METROPOLIS and the city of Copenhagen
METROPOLIS presents a series of diverse performances and art installations, where the artistic essence of the work is the metropolis. This is not just about works by Danish and international guest performers, but also about works that will either make their debut at METROPOLIS or have been especially developed for METROPOLIS and Copenhagen.
Eight of the works are continuations of projects developed during METROPOLIS LABORATORY 2007 and 2008, which Copenhagen International Theatre arranged in collaboration with DAC and with support from Realdania. These include JAY PATHER, HELLO!EARTH and DOUNG JAHANGEER’s city walks, theatre for the senses, CITY PUZZLE by Enrique Vargas, the performances THE ORACLE’S BOAT by SIGNA and VERTICAL EXILE by Sara Gebran with PUBLIC EYE: COLLECTIVE WORK plus submarine ballet by LIVE ART INSTALLATIONS.
Magical Fairytale landscape at Sortedamssøen
This year the festival will open on 1 August at 9.30 pm with a magnificent staging of the Copenhagen lakes, where the French street theatre company ILOTOPIE will display their poetic firework show WATERFOOLS. This may well be the summer’s biggest outdoor art event for the whole family and with place for approx. 10 000 people along the banks of Sortedamssøen.
From the city centre to the outskirts of the metropolis
The inner city streets will be turned into stage settings. The Argentinean director MARIANO PENSOTTI will transform the mythical Blågårdsgade into a narrative cityscape. Experience the Mexico City street hawkers in Copenhagen’s historical city centre, when fourteen Mexican artists create installations and performances around Nikolaj Plads and Kgs. Nytorv. Or, take a trip to the outskirts of Copenhagen and experience the Dutch artist LOTTE VAN DEN BERG’s production in a deserted urban landscape. The prize winning architectonic masterpieces VM Mountain and Tietgenkollegiet in Ørestad create the stage for the French aerial acrobats COMPAGNIE 9.81 and Danish TEATRO GLIMT.
City walks
Experience the city’s secret, curious and overlooked places on unusual city walks by JAY PATHER and DOUNG JAHANGEER, with inspiration from Cape Town and Durban. See the city’s potential for play with the French dance company EX NIHILO, or go on a ’do it yourself’ walk with Danish HELLO!EARTH.
Some of the productions strive to transform ’the stage to metropolis’ like the multi-media masterpiece CONTINUOUS CITY from New York, about people in a global information society.
21 Danish and international productions
METROPOLIS gathers 21 Danish and international productions in one of Europe’s most groundbreaking festivals of urban art and performance from 1st – 31st August 2009. The budget for METROPOLIS 09 is approx. 7 million DKK. The Danish Arts Council’s Committee for Performing Arts, the Danish Arts Council and the City of Copenhagen provide the primary funding.