AWKWARD HAPPINESS
Research with Studio Matejka, in collaboration with Grotowski Institute and Compagnie T-d’U Switzerland, Wroclaw, Poland, 2015

Performers: Guillaumarc Froidevaux, Zuzana Kakalikova, Magdalena Koza, Dawid Lorenc
Direction: Matej Matejka
Music: Orest Sharak, Guillaumarc Froidevaux, Zuzana Kakalikova, Daniel Han
Lighting: Marcin Wojcik
Live Visuals, graphic designm photography, video documentaction: meg janus

Is happiness something that we seek in another person designing your dreams, desires, weaknesses? The life journey of the two presented couples shows how time puts on the relationship canvas next layers of secrets, surprises and misunderstandings. A moment of happiness appears to disappear in a moment. Did we recognize it at all? From the „obligation to be happy” we hide emotions that not finding the estuary and become a source of confusion. Pulling off the masks, we reveal what we usually hide so willingly – unspoken questions, suppressed desires.
quote from the catalog

Visualization of Awkward Happiness was quite a big challenge. The performance was created, repeatedly presented and awarded. Matej Matejka had since the beginning assumed a presence of visualization in this realization and I think that he had already had a strong idea of the image. He had shown extensive experience by providing space for free creative work, mutual sincerity, and trust, for which I am grateful. My activity started from by familiarizing myself with the contemporary version of the performance and its entire existing documentation. By watching materials, reading texts and listening to the sound compositions I tried to find an emotional layer, which in a sincere manner could translate into my feelings. Actors and their relations became my inspiration. The next step was the search for proper tools. I tried to connect with the team through interactive activities, imitating their gestures, translating their movement and touch, absorbing the atmosphere resulting from the scenes that followed each other. It was a very active time of preparation. The creation of images took around four months.

The meetings were accompanied by many conversations, an exchange of new ideas and presentation of prepared materials. Visualizations were based on manual labor: drawings, paintings, graphic forms. Then were then processed using graphics and editing software. A big role was also played through joint rehearsals, , watchful observation, and conversations with actors and artists who prepared music. Continuous processing of visual forms was necessary to synchronize the work with directing, choreography, acting and sound.

Visualizations are controlled live during the performance which allows them to react naturally. Until the very last moment before the opening night we were working on the consistency of lamp- and screen-light.
Connection of all means of expression had a chance to appear thanks to the great flexibility of the director and the group. Matej Matejka has made many changes and has also added new scenes. The actors demonstrated their creativity in understanding the sincere research for new emotional layers in the transformation, and a lot of patience. It was a big joy and great honor for me to work with such a fantastic team.