Hide to show is about being alone, but syncing with others without seeing them, about being observed by others, making yourself visible or not and about replacing yourself in many ways. The spotlights are put on the backstage area while the musicians prepare for the performance in front of the audience, each alone in their private little room. They play a few notes, change clothes or dance to the music in their headphones. Not only the movements of the musicians on stage are considered as musical material, Beil’s list of artistic ingredients now also includes their actions in the seclusion of the backstage area. But we don’t get to see everything. The musicians hide behind their costumes, curtains that go up and down and recordings of themselves, so that the real person remains invisible after all. A parallel with social media is quickly made. Hide to show is about hyperreality, how we put virtual layers on our lives, how we copy and paste into our so-called reality.
Photos © Wim Heirbaut
Credits
Michael Beil concept, composition, video, staging
WARPED TYPE live visuals, stage design
Barbara Galli-Jescheck choreografic advisor
Charlotte Triebus lyrics
Robin Goossens business manager
Katrien Gaelens flute
Yves Goemaere percussion
Wannes Gonnissen sound
Winnie Huang violin
Pieter Matthynssens cello, artistic director
Elisa Medinilla keyboard
Thomas Moore trombone
Veerle Vervoort production
Stefan Prins artistic director
Bertel Schollaert sax
Dries Tack clarinet
Co-production: Concertgebouw Brugge, deSingel
Supported by Kunststiftung NRW
Commissioned by Concertgebouw Brugge & Nadar Ensemble, with the support of Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung
