Gaff Aff
2006
Choreographer(s) : Zimmermann, Martin (Switzerland) De Perrot, Dimitri (Switzerland)
Present in collection(s): Fondation BNP Paribas
Video producer : Zimmermann & de Perrot
Gaff Aff
2006
Choreographer(s) : Zimmermann, Martin (Switzerland) De Perrot, Dimitri (Switzerland)
Present in collection(s): Fondation BNP Paribas
Video producer : Zimmermann & de Perrot
Gaff Aff
A society's discards – useless husks of its lifestyle – a leftover cardboard carton: from this, the choreographer and the musician begin to construct a fragile entity that ends up being their own stage set. A vibrant, self-sustaining construction takes shape, which they lovingly, trustingly allow to grow. With a flick of the wrist, a cut, a fold, a bend and a break, the space takes shape for a theatre, a stage, a home where they find identity and meaning. The cardboard is light, pliable, manageable, insulating. But it has the instability of a temporary arrangement. This fragility resembles that of human existence.
A sort of nesting boxes of events ensues when Martin Zimmermann and Dimitri de Perrot construct their new existence, as Zimmermann promotes himself and becomes a modern attraction: human being as marionette, curio, illusionist or as Man dressed up as Man. A carousel, a stage, a dance floor – resembling a huge turntable. The musician cranks it up, it becomes the display apparatus, and the characters themselves can no longer recognize the border between voluntary and involuntary exposure.
Attempting to conform to modern life, Zimmermann's character teeters on the edge of frustration and melancholy, only to turn himself, within the same turn, into a laughter-filled, poetic parody of being human, as his Self, going around and around like the needle on a turntable, edges ever closer. The musician Dimitri de Perrot plays the environment. But the music also creates the dreamworld, the secret inner world of the „other me“ of Zimmermann's split character, and develops into a character itself – the music character – that intervenes, disturbs, reacts, caresses and comforts.
Gaff Aff is a carousel of life, a poetic, contemporary orchestration of music, circus, fine arts and choreography, where the music character, the movement character and the dynamic scenogra- phy enter into an intensive interaction.
Source : Zimmermann & de Perrot
Zimmermann, Martin
Martin Zimmermann was born in 1970 and grew up in Wildberg, a small Swiss village. After studying set design, he graduated from the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (C.N.A.C.) in France. Following his return to Zurich in 1998 he began to work as a choreographer and director. Ever since then, Martin Zimmermann has worked in partnership mainly with the composer and director Dimitri de Perrot with whom he co-directs the company Zimmermann & de Perrot. They have performed their productions around the world. Several of their pieces were created at Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne: Hoi (2001, Gaff Aff (2006), Öper Öpis (2008) and Hans was Heiri (2012)
Martin Zimmermann lives and works in Zurich.
More information : zimmermanndeperrot.com
De Perrot, Dimitri
Dimitri de Perrot is an internationally active and awarded Swiss sound artist, musician, director, set-designer and, since 2014, lecturer at the ZHdK (Zurich University of the Arts).
At the core of Dimitri de Perrot’s work and productions is the narrative through and with sound at interfaces of theatre, music and fine arts. He creates scenic and sonic sculptures for theatre spaces and places of the public, using sound, space, light and visuals as equivalent structures. He places particular focus on the interplay between the artwork, the given environment and the audience. De Perrot worked for many years with actors, dancers, musicians and artists. He staged interdisciplinary theatre and music projects, composed for film and theatre and build up three international active cultural production offices.
His works and collaborations tour worldwide and have been programmed in prestigious venues and festivals such as: Le Centquatre – Paris, BAM New York (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Hong Kong Arts Centre, Museum Tinguely Basel, Festival d‘Avignon, Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Gessnerallee Zürich, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Romaeuropa Festival – Rome, Barbican London, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Théâtre de la Ville – Paris, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Holland Festival, Biennale Musiques en Scène – Lyon or Hellerau – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste, Dresden, amongst others.
De Perrot was co-founder and co-director of the artist collective MZdP (Metzger/Zimmermann/de Perrot, 1998-2005) and the Swiss directing duo Zimmermann & de Perrot (2006-2017). They invented a unique and world wide acclaimed form of physical theater mixing music, visual arts, dance, clownerie and modern circus. From these collaborations emerged two internationally active production offices. With their productions he performed life on stage for almost two decades.
In 2017 Dimitri de Perrot founded his own production company, the Studio DdP. He holds an Executive Master in Arts Administration (EMAA) from the University of Zurich. He is «Artist in Residence» of Le Centquatre - Paris and «Hauskünstler» of the Gessnerallee Zurich (as of Feb. 2023).
Dimitri de Perrot lives in Zurich, Switzerland.
Source and more information: https://www.dimitrideperrot.com/en/news
Gaff Aff
Artistic direction / Conception : Zimmermann & de Perrot
Choreography : Martin Zimmermann
Artistic consultancy / Dramaturgy : Jlien Dütschler
Stage direction : Zimmermann & de Perrot
Original music : Dimitri de Perrot
Lights : Ursula Degen, Sammy Marchina/Jérôme Bueche/Ursula Degen (régie)
Settings : Pius Aellig/Jean-Marc Gaillard (construction)
Technical direction : Ursula Degen
Sound : Andy Neresheimer, Felix Lämmli/Franck Bourgoin/Andy Neresheimer (régie)
Other collaborations : Aurélien Bory/Arnaud Clavet/Goury/Aline Muheim/Lex Trüb (collaborations artistiques)
Production / Coproduction of the choreographic work : Verein Zimmermann & de Perrot (Production), Alain Vuignier (Administration et diffusion), Claire Béjanin (Productrice internationale) — Coproduction Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne / Le Merlan, Scène nationale à Marseille / Theater Chur / Théâtre associé, PiuFestival – Brescia — Soutien à la création Ville de Zurich – affaires culturelles / Service aux affaires culturelles du Canton de Zurich/Pro Helvetia-Fondation suisse pour la culture/Pour-cent culturel Migros/ Fondation Sophie et Karl Binding / Fondation Ernst Göhner / SSA Société Suisse des Auteurs Zimmermann & de Perrot bénéficie d‘un contrat coopératif de subvention entre la ville de Zurich - affaires culturelles, le service aux affaires culturelles du Canton de Zurich et Pro Helvetia - Fondation suisse pour la culture. — Zimmermann & de Perrot bénéficie depuis 2006 du soutien de la Fondation BNP Paribas pour le développement de ses projets. — Résidence de fin de création au Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, première le 23 octobre 2006.
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