Lublin Soundpainting Orchestra of live
sign language, and the Clay Songs Project
of Poland – a one-of-a-kind orchestra
made of ceramic instruments, that plays
long-lost folk songs.
Born in what was then the Soviet
Union, then forcibly moved to western
Poland, Bernad came to this area through
his involvement with pioneering theatre
group Gardzienice – named for the village
it was based in, not far from Lublin. The
group garnered international acclaim
for its groundbreaking experimental
performances, interacting with the
community in often-unconventional spaces.
Its early members are now seen as the
grand old men of leftfield culture, and
the bearded Bernad cuts a striking figure
around the Old Town, a bag filled with
project ideas slung over his shoulder as he
cycles through the cobbled streets.
He was one of the initiators of this year’s
celebration of John Cage – a year-long
celebration of both the composer’s
centenary and Lublin’s own remarkable
diversity. The American composer was, in
Bernad’s eyes, a “20th-century alchemist”;
the aim of the event, he says, was to
bring together experimental artists
and ‘Cageologists’ from around the
world. It has been an ambitious project,
involving workshops, symposia, lectures
and performances. “It would have been
impossible for us to have staged just one
event,” he explains, over another cigarette
on the terrace of Lublin’s landmark Jewish
restaurant, Mandragora. “Cage himself
touched on so many elements of music,
musical theory, dance, art and so on. He
made extraordinary demands, not only of
his musicians but of the listener, too. By
stretching the event out over the course of
a year, we can explore these ideas and let
them soak into the city.”
Autumn will bring
Cage 1, 2, 3
,
a series
of original works inspired by Cage’s
compositions and created by both
professional and amateur musicians.
After the pieces have been performed,
the winners will be given the chance to
play their piece at a final concert on 8
December. By then, the
CagePlugBox
,
an
interactive musical installation on Łokietka
Square by Lublin Town Hall, will have
Bernard cuts a
striking figure,
a bag filled with
project ideas
slung over his
shoulder as he
cycles through the
cobbled streets
THIS PAGE:
PUPPET: THE
BOOK OF SPLENDOUR
DIRECTED BY PAWEŁ PASSINI
FOR neTTheatre.
FAR RIGHT:
THE DISMISSAL OF THE GREEK
ENVOYS AND THE LAMENTS AT
JAN KOCHANOWSKI THEATRE
46
WIZZ MAGAZINE
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012
