Umwelt

A plastic world buffeted by a stormy wind, at first glance Umwelt appears to be a wall of mirrored doors, set up in staggered rows at the back of the stage. One by one these mirrors are pushed open by performers who enter and leave in turn in an uninterrupted merry-go-round of figures and “vignettes” in action : one bites into an apple, another runs his hand through his hair, a third puts on an item of clothing. Sometimes two doors open almost simultaneously, or three or more, and the collections of gestures, scenes and snapshots are superimposed or clash together in an inexorable rhythm. The comings and goings are reflected in the mirrors, the figures are divided up, the gestures become blurred, situations interrupt and respond to one other. Marking a turning point in Maguy Marin’s work, Umwelt offers a fascinating vision of what existence is – banal, multiple, linked to echoes of other existences. A time, passing through, a movement, somewhere between appearance and disappearance.