Golem
According to Jewish legend, a golem is a figure made from dust or clay by a man of learning and brought to life by means of a ritual incantation. The golem was intended as an assistant to its human creator, as a companion or protector of the latter’s threatened community. But the experiment gets out of hand, and the creature turns against its creator.
Ask any sculptor; to recast even the dullest object is to celebrate it. – Tom McCarthy, Satin Island
This myth of artificial life underlies Thomas Ryckewaert’s latest creation. It is a tale of ambition, creativity, power, creation, madness and destruction. It is a theme that touches upon the age-old fear of creating something that surpasses us: from the Bible via Frankenstein to the ghost of artificial intelligence. It is a story that raises the same question in every age: how deep can we dig?
Using a silent cinematic visual language, Golem balances on the thin line between man and matter, reason and fear. Face to face with a figure that looks a lot like man, but is at the same time radically different, a mirror is held up. He sees monsters being born in things, in the other, in himself.
From his generation, Ryckewaert is one of the most intelligent and theatrical talented makers, ready for the really big stage. – Wouter Hillaert, De Standaard
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Koen Broos
Susan Derges, courtesy of Purdy Hicks Gallery, London
Koen Broos
Credits
Scenario & direction: Thomas Ryckewaert
Cast: Tina Breiova, Efrat Galai, Rosie Sommers, Jef Stevens & Kurt Vandendriessche
Scenography: Erki De Vries
Light: Giacomo Gorini
Sound: Senjan Jansen
Costumes: Andrea Kränzlin
Assistant director: Sibran Sampers
Assistant scenography: Maia Anastasiou
Production: Wolff vzw / Hiros
Coproduction: deSingel (Antwerp), Kaaitheater (Brussels), Vooruit (Ghent), TAKT Dommelhof (Neerpelt), Platform 0090 (Antwerp)
In collaboration with: Kunstencentrum BUDA (Kortrijk), WP Zimmer (Antwerp)
With the support of: The Flemish Community, the City of Antwerp