if not us
with Damkapellet
If not us is an interdisciplinary piece composed for Damkapellet. Through performative acoustic instruments, actions and movements, connected forms of contemporary art music is investigated as a act of resistance. The piece is developed in collaboration with the musicians of Damkapellet´s ensemble and the choreographer Maria Påhls.
Created in a time of genocide and war, the piece seek to explore the true meaning of resistance.
The work draws inspiration from the anger and conflicts in Peter Weiss’s play Marat/Sade, and poses the question of whether ‘the revolution’ and ‘the self’ can share a common foundation, or whether they are by nature incompatible.
Composition/concept/costume - Agnes Kofoed Christianson Damkapellet´s ensemble Soprano - Josefine Weber Hansen Violin - Julija Morgan Viola - Tove Bagge Cello - Nicole Hogstrand Percussion - Irene Bianco Choreography - Maria Påhls Costume inspiration and consultation - Maja Svartåker and Ranin George Souliman Traditional Palestinian song - Ahmed Muin Abu Amsha & Gaza Birds Singing Mastering - P-O Nilsson
Public remarks
“I kept switching between laughing and crying”
“I usually go to the Opera, but this was one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time.”
“Like a hardcore avant-garde performance from the 1970s, but feminist”
Photos: Hans Rådahl, Anna Drvnik, Maria Påhls