LAGMA. ALICJA CZYCZEL, DANA CHMIELEWSKA, MARTA SZYPULSKA, ALEKSANDRA GRYKA

In Lagma, bodies, costumes, skins, sounds, movement all constitute an inseparable vibrant whole. Lagma is a dense, fluid, absorbent environment, which emerged out of a great many improvisations. The performers are in constant organic motion, they modify the architecture of the stage, they enter into tender and predatory interactions with one another and with objects, creating amorphous hybrids. The sound layer, woven out of cries, squeaks, squelches and moans, is just as important as the movement layer.

The tarry and unnerving Lagma is also an object-being. It has been sewn from 50 kilograms of misshapen leather jackets bought at second-hands. The artists were interested in the tactile, visual and ethical aspect of including the black skins ripped off animals’ bodies in their show. Their work on the choreography was steeped in reflection on mass extinction caused by humans and on the morphing of the human body with the (dead) animal body.

Lagma is a leavening from another time, which captured a specific moment in the lives and work of four artists, a moment that coincided with the covid pandemic and protests against stricter anti-abortion measures that took place in Poland in the autumn of 2020.

The event is part of the opening’s Choreographic Programme. With more than twenty shows, the audience will be offered an opportunity to witness diverse artistic strategies and a multitude of formal takes. The programme includes works in progress, dance acts and choreographic installations, with spectacular group productions sharing space with intimate solo activities.