From June 21 to 30, we are meeting again in Poznań in order to talk, experience, have fun and be together. Nástio Mosquito, the curator of our Idiom Army of the Individual, is particularly excited to invite you this year!
Nástio Mosquito is one of the most distinct and charismatic performative and visual creators of his generation (30-year-olds). He compares himself to a cook who combines all media formats and disciplines. That is why we are certain that the program he has cooked up in collaboration with the artists he invited will turn Poznań into a place oozing with vibrant art.
This year’s Idiom, Army of the Individual, is rooted in a conviction that conflict is the determining force shaping the dynamics of our daily lives. In many places across the globe, invisible wars are being waged. We are divided by fences, walls, systems and categories which altogether constitute our sense of freedom and identity. As Europeans, we might have grown accustomed to the notion that we live in the most peaceful times, however, the global reality nowadays is a brutal testimony to the contrary.
As part of the Idiom, Nástio Mosquito will unveil two premiere projects: an audiovisual happening assembled from videos documenting the moment of human birth (we’re currently awaiting your video submissions at www.armyoftheindividual.com) as well as No.One.Gives.A.Mosquito’s.Ass.About.Us – a spectacle which is a tribute to the karaoke phenomenon. Additionally, we will see dance spectacles by Alice Joana Goncalves, Lisbeth Gruwez and Radouan Mriziga, an immersive audiovisual installation by Vic Pereiro, Kelly Schacht city event/action prepared especially for Malta Festival, and a performative city intervention by Priscila Rezende. During the festival, Benjamin Abras will conduct dance seminars which will aim to activate so-called crowd-bodies. Also, there will be a selection of film productions to watch from Geração 80, a platform for Angolan filmmakers, and Li Ran – an rising star of the Chinese artistic scene. Each of the invited guest-artists comes from a different cultural and social background, but each of them is a member of the Army of the Individual. And finally, all guests will meet with Polish audiences for the first time.
Malta Festival’s real stage is the city. From the very beginning of the Festival we explore its potential with our performances and activities. The part of the program dedicated to the city and local activations is called Generator Malta, a multilayer program combining the Festival Club as the venue and various social-engaged activities ingrained in local contexts, and happening beyond from city center.
This year, Generator Malta is „preparing for peace” which is seen here as a „homework” for each of us to do privately, locally, and globally. Its main aim is to create a local starter culture for pacifist thought, where peace is not considered as mere sense of security which we are either granted or taken away, but rather as a space of constant mediation in each single ‘here and now’ and with all individuals involved. The program will feature a performance act by Army of Love, a creative collective seeking recruits who want to become love soldiers, a breakdance workshop and a spectacle by a Palestinian dance group Stereo 48, an installation 858. An Archive of Resistance, created from hundreds of videos and thousands of photos and documents depicting the protests against Mubarak’s regime in 2011. Those who are counting on our good-old popular formats won’t be disappointed: again, we will climb the tallest buildings of Poznań during Korona Poznania [Poznań Summits], create sentimental maps of Poznań (this time, will focus on the districts of Naramowice, Wilda, and Grunwald-Północ), and also buy stuff and help each other at Poznańska Garażówka [Poznań’s Garage Sale].
The 10 days of Malta Festival are going to be a marathon through diverse paths and landscapes. The Idiom’s and Generator’s program will intertwine with theatrical spectacles (both outdoors at Liberty Square and in various local theatres) and dance performances delivered by Old Brewery New Dance (Art Stations Foundation by Grażyna Kulczyk), celebrating this years its 15th anniversary with the performances of Paweł Sakowicz or Anna Nowicka and other invited artists.
We also encourage you to check out some plays by young creators from ’s Polish theatre, such as Maria Dąbrowska, Jakub Skrzywanek, Klaudia Hartung-Wójciak, Szymon Kaczmarek and Magda Szpecht. Don’t forget about many other concerts and the beloved Silent Disco – this year Nástio Mosquito and Generator Malta are in charge of the lineup. Malta Festival at the Liberty Square is also about artistic installations, „Wolno Dzieciom”children’s program, culinary workshops, and yoga sessions. As we debate, act creatively and relax mindfully and respectfully towards each other, we become the creators of the municipal agora.
One of the festival’s landmark moments will be the theatre premiere of ‘Disgrace’, a play based on J.M. Coetzee’s novel, directed by Maciej Podstawny and co-produced with Stefan Żeromski’s Theatre in Kielce.
What’s for the inauguration?The 29th edition of Malta Festival Poznań will open with a colourful march of musicians and acrobats, and some spectacular finale, all brought to you by a French group Transe Express. This joyful parade with 5-metre puppets, dancers, acrobats and drummers will sweep through the main streets of Poznań. The parade will conclude with a new version of “Mobile Homme” – a revival of spectacle Transe Express already staged at Malta in 1993 – with drummers and choir high above the spectators’ heads.
Nástio Mosquito says: “don’t be cool, be relevant […] and if you can be cool in a relevant way, that’s even better”. This is why we believe that the festival is a space where we can discuss matters of grave importance, at the same time enjoying life while participating in numerous events with friends and guests. Our festival can be seen as a rift in time-space continuum, where we can form a sphere that defies violence and social exclusion, so often determining the coordinates of our lives.
It’s our pleasure to invite you to join us in Poznań this June (21-30). Detailed information on our program can be found in attached SAVE THE DATE brochure. Our complete program will be revealed at our press conferences in Warsaw (21 May, at Winosfera, 31 Chłodna Str.) and in Poznań (22 May, Malta Foundation, 44 Ratajczaka Str.). Tickets, passes, and press cards will be available from mid May. Together with PLOT (Poznań Local Organization for Tourism) we would be happy to host you for this Edition of Malta Festival Poznań.
In case of any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Malta Festival Poznań Team