Reports from the unseen

Water, food, shelter, sleep, safety: these are the most important human needs. Although they are considered basic needs, we often struggle to meet them. Anything beyond that becomes a surplus that can feel overwhelming, but can also open the door to what animates us individually.

As this season's ensemble, the Concept Store Quartet will talk about surplus in the context of consumption, information and connection, and aims to offer the audience time and space to reflect on how the surplus we encounter every day can be transformed into a positive and collective force. In «Surplus», the ensemble consistently develops its tailor-made repertoire and collaborates with composers such as Daneil Zea, Alexandre Babel, Uros Rojko, Paul Clift and others.

Satisfying basic needs is where consumerism thrives. «You are just one click away from having everything you want». And all that in a pretty cardboard package! Of course, it's all very important and necessary. The boxes pile up first at home, then in the basement, on the street, finally the whole universe is filled with them! «Box Tsunami», the musical installation by Daniel Zea, shows the possible result like a magic mirror. The surplus of boxes also becomes a symbolic representation of what lies behind them: the search for life satisfaction, self-esteem, love and belonging.

Since the invention of printing, the sense of sight has become the dominant transmitter of information. Eye-centrism has reached its peak in recent years, imperceptibly robbing us of the ability to understand the world with other senses, but also hogging part of our free thinking and imagination. Images and video have become the most common means of communication. The concentrated wealth of possibilities offered by electronic devices is both a fascination and a threat. «Reports from the unseen» by Alexandre Babel puts the audience in a situation where they have to open their senses to decide for themselves what is still a surplus of information or whether imagination can be given free rein.

When we satisfy our physiological needs, we make room for the three remaining blocks in the pyramid of our well-being: love and belonging, self-esteem and self-actualisation. This chapter («//inter-//») is complex because it is interpersonal. We are not able to develop any of the above elements without making a conscious decision about what relationship we have with other people and with space and time. The overabundance of tools at our disposal today makes time seem faster and the world seem smaller, but it also dilutes formerly clear solutions by offering us seemingly unlimited possibilities. In the past, direct interaction with other people fulfilled us; today we engage in society with the help of the internet. A discussion about the anthropological, ethical and moral consequences of the rapid development of technology is our responsibility. Although it feels overwhelming, there is a hopeful thought behind it - that we will never lose the need to be close and connected to each other.

With

Alicjia Pilarczyk (violin), Nejc Grm (accordion), Pablo González Balaguer (saxophone), Jeanne Larrouturou (percussion)

Program

Alexandre Babel (*1980): «Reports from the unseen» (2024) Music and light performance

Duration

50 minutes, no break

Prices

CHF 35.-/25.-/15.- (free choice at the box office or in advance)
Free admission applies to persons with residence permit N, F or S. / CHF 5.- students of the Hochschule für Musik FHNW and the Musicology Seminar of the University of Basel / CHF 10.- members Colourkey and children under 12 years.

Links

→ conceptstorequartet.com
→ alexandrebabel.com