POINT ZERO
- interactive live performance in complete darkness
“In fear of the dark, we constantly surround ourselves with light from buildings, lamps and screens. In this light, we are constantly confronted with our own identity. To us, it has been crucial to create a refuge where the individual is disregarded. Where it is possible to connect with a universal primeval energy, to an undemanding community, to the silence, the closeness, the break.”
-Julie Kunz, creator.
“I saw Julie Kunz's darkness project quite a while ago, but nevertheless it is very vivid in my memory. Rarely have I experienced being led so concretely into a completely different universe with a slow, story-filled sensory deprivation, as Julie Kunz succeeds. As the eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, figures appear, coming closer and further away in various movements. The whole thing feels like a crystal-clear waking dream, or even like hallucinating. So believable is the universe. Great fun and very inspiring.“
- Lukas Toya, audience, November 2022Can we learn to accept the darkness as part of our being and nature and in this way achieve a more harmonious relationship with ourselves and the world?
Darkness has qualities which do not do itself justice. It is democratic and without prejudice. It has the ability to create community and understanding since darkness blurs parts of our identity and takes us back to a common starting point. It has been demonized and rejected by societies and religions – but it is a fact that darkness is dominant in the universe we live in, and perhaps there would be a point in befriending it instead of rejecting it.
ZERO is an interactive performance in complete darkness. Through a ritual, we let the darkness in as we all watch the flame of a burning fire go out. After this, we encounter the voice of the darkness, and with guidance we safely explore the dark in all its forms: the darkness around us, the darkness inside us, the darkness under a clam shell on a far-off shore, the darkness before the curtains go up, the darkness that scares us, the darkness that binds us together, the darkness that protects us.
We want to invite the audience into a safe, poetic space where they can leave their shoes, vanity and embarrassment at the door. We want to invite them into a world where the darkness creates an undemanding space for reflection on the material we present to them. However – hopefully – they will, at our request, use their anonymity to contribute to the conversation/poetry in the room with stories, sounds or physical contact.
If all goes well, they will return to the light with an increased sense of belonging and a greater openness to the world around them.
CREDITS
PERFORMER Julie Kunz
CREATOR Julie Kunz
DESIGNER OF DARKNESS Michael Breiner
CONSULTANT Michael Breiner
FACILITATOR Forsøgsstationen
SPONSERED BY Forsøgsstationen, Koflar NightSystems ApS, Teater Zeppelin og Teater V
PRACTICAL
Duration: 1 hour
Other: Setting must be fireproofed, and a carpeted floor is preferred.