2001

The possibility of an art-piece, even a choreography, today is not to propose an utterance, but to invite the spectator to re-invent him/herself, or perhaps less utopic, to re-search his/her ideology of watching, of constructing Self, or articulating security. The artwork cannot say anything in itself, it can represent a political idea or concept, but today the artwork is a formulation of itself. The artwork can only investigate, or re-search, its own domain, and become self-conscious through reflection (per speculum in aenigmae) and through this awareness it can become an experience of the Self (the spectator) but never an experience of something else. To be part of an art-experience is always only the experience of the self.
Marten Spangberg

Bernard : « Hold on, your radio’s working. I’m happy you’re interested in the news, to know what’s going on in the world ».
Mathilde : « No, I only listen to songs because they tell the truth. The more stupid they are, the more they tell the truth and in that way they’re not stupid. They say, do not leave me or your absence has broken my life or I’m an empty house without you or let me be the shadow of your shadow or even without love, we’re nothing ».
Bernard : « Well, Mathilde, I have to go. I’ll come back ».

Excerpts from the dialogue of the film La femme d’à côté by François Truffaut, between Fanny Ardant (Mathilde) and Gerard Depardieu (Bernard)

conception and direction :
Jerome Bel
music :
Leonard Bernstein, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, J. Horner, W.Jennings, Mark Knopfler, John Lennon and Paul Mac Cartney, Louiguy, Galt Mac Dermott, George Michael, Erick “More” Morillo and M. Quashie, Edith Piaf, The Police et Hugh Padgham, Queen, Lionel Richie, A.Romero Monge and R. Ruiz, Paul Simon
creation :
Paris (France), on January 4th 2001, at the Theatre de la Ville
with :
Sonja Augart, Nicole Beutler, Eric Affergan, Dina Ed Dik, Juan Dominguez, Marie-Louise Gilcher, Claire Haenni, Cuqui Jerez, Henrique Neves, Frederic Seguette, Amaia Urra, Olga de Soto, Peter Vandenbempt, Hester Van Hasselt, Olivier Casamayou, Ion Munduate, Aldo Lee, Benoit Izard, Esther Snelder, Tino Sehgal, Yseult Roch, Eva Meyer-Keller, Simone Verde, Petra Sabish, Gisele Pelozuelo, Germana Civera
assistants :
Frederic Seguette, Olga de Soto
casting :
Barbara Van Lindt and Jerome Bel
technical direction :
Johannes Sundrup, Gilles Gentner
production :
Theatre de la Ville (Paris), Gasthuis (Amsterdam), Centre Choregraphique National Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon (Montpellier), Arteleku Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia (San Sebastian), R.B. (Paris)