Bye, Bye Butterfly. Favola in musica
We stole the title of the piece from the renowned American composer Pauline Oliveros — along with her entire reflection on deep listening. The original was a feminist electronic fantasy built around the symbolism of perhaps the most famous of Puccini’s heroines, Cio-Cio-San.
Our butterfly is not a woman. Instead, in accordance with its biological nature and the semantics of Polish Sign Language, it is Deaf. Or perhaps deaf — because its entire world is devoid of acoustic vibrations. It is within this reality that our favola in musica unfolds.
How can one speak there about sound, listening, and music?
We attempted to use signed poetry, percussion, and low-frequency vibrations. Because sometimes, from the outside, one listens more wisely — even without hearing. And one may remember that listening creates parallel worlds, breaks down walls, but also kills. That it is a choice not only practical and aesthetic, but also axiological and metaphysical. A choice from which there is no return.
So which pill will you choose: the red one or the blue one?
- Concept and script – Michał Mendyk
- Dramaturgy – Michał Mendyk and Sebastian Świąder
- Signed poetry – Adam Stoyanov
- Music – Hubert Zemler and Robert Piotrowicz
- Video – Wiktor Freifeld and Piotr Cieślik
Performers:
- Deaf Percussion Orchestra conducted by Hubert Zemler
- Robert Piotrowicz – electronic sound design
- Wiktor Freifeld / Piotr Cieślik – video design
Organizer: Stanisław Brzozowski Association (Krytyka Polityczna), Automatophone Foundation
Co-organizer: Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw
The event was created as part of the project Staged Concert “Bye, bye Butterfly” with Deaf artists, financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO).
