At the very beginning, each member of the audience is given headphones which guide us through the performance, thus changing our role - before we know it, we become participants. Led by an AI voice, we pass through the city we know, by the spots we have seen numerous times, but we are now really looking at them for the first time. Everyday life of the people we don’t know, but also of our own, turns into the most interesting performance in this city, while we are also playing roles for the confused passers-by. The voice keeps leading us into traps by making us think about transience, about time, our mutual connections, belief and boredom, while constantly pulling us out of our comfort zones and creating different contexts to the places we visit, turning a town square into a dance arena, and the handrails of escalators into a ballet bar, constantly reminding us that we are alive, that we can feel and rejoice.
Naturally, although the headphones create the feeling of isolation, we could hardly manage any of these things if there weren’t surrounded by other people. Right from the start, we become an organized group in which everyone has a set of headphones and follows the voice. Spontaneously and without a word, we create relations within the group, and it becomes obvious who is leading, who observes from behind, who is walking together with someone, who is not afraid to be touched, while by the end of the performance the group reaches decisions without a word. The energy between us gets established and shared, encouraging us to continue. Within the group, the feelings of shame or fear disappear. The mass offers us support for things we would never dare to do. At the same time, we follow the AI voice, because we turn into a system.
Nearing our final destination, we start climbing stairs which symbolize the path we have walked. Once we arrive, we observe a Belgrade panorama. A beautiful and peaceful view after all the effort. So close to the sky, we see people down there and wonder what voices lead them. The main sentiment of this performance is the feeling of community which stems from a number of individuals, the linking word being - solidarity.
Nevena Mijatović
